The Valley Of Deep Darkness

 

Psalm 23 came alive for me one day when I was getting ready to speak to a group of recovering alcoholics.   I wanted to speak about the shepherd heart of God but I was lost in how to communicate that to a group of men who had hit the bottom, and who were trying to recover and embrace life again with hope and meaning.

           

In my prayers that early morning my eyes fell on an alternate translation of the words, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”  I would have had no problem using this historic translation, but for this assignment the alternate reading crashed into me at light speed and became the theme of the day.”  The alternate reading?  “Even though I walk through the valley of deep darkness.”

           

The valley of deep darkness is all around us. Deep darkness.  I suspect that if you took a moment right now to think about it you would name some people in your life who are going through that valley right now.  Maybe you are one of the people you would name. 

           

My friends with whom I shared the message sure got it.  It became a more powerful image even than death.  We set around for two hours after the message and just talked about light and darkness.  Many of them had lived on the streets of L.A. in a drunken stupor for years.  One day they bumped in to God.  Their darkness was embraced by God’s light, they were adopted into God’s family, and now they were recovering from the darkness, seeking to live in the light of Jesus.

                       

No valley is too deep, no darkness so dark, no person so lost that Jesus can’t shake the foundations and take broken lives and turn them into something beautiful for God.