I grew up reading Psalms 23:4 as, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”  Some versions translate verse 4 as “the darkest valley.” Either way, it presents us with an image that is frightening, an image of death and loss. But there is a big difference between those two translations.

All of us have walked through this valley in varying degrees. Those of us who are older have walked through it with the death of our parents and possibly siblings. Some, with the death of a spouse, and still others, with the death of a child. The loss of anyone within the inner circle hurts the most. At this point in my ministry, I have sat with hundreds of people dealing with this dark valley’s shadow. A home that was once vibrant with laughter is now quiet. A bed that once provided love, comfort, and security now feels empty. Photos bring back memories of yesteryear that passed much too quickly.

But in the midst of this verse, there is comfort. After acknowledging that he is walking through the “valley of the shadow of death,” David says, “I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” To understand this confidence, we must return to verse 1, where he says, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” The One who walks with us through the valley of the shadow is Jesus.

And then, there is this. The version that renders it as the “darkest valley” leaves out a great truth. The dark valley implies no shadow. A shadow is not the absence of light, but rather the evidence of a light nearby. There is Someone who walks beside us in this valley, who leads us to still waters and green pastures. And even in the midst of the valley of the shadow, He comforts and restores our soul. And because of that, we can say, even in the darkest of days, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”