Church Volume Two: A 9-Day Devotional by Jesus CultureEsimerkki

Prophesy Your Promise - Bryan Torwalt

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

This last season of life for us, has been one where we’ve had to constantly battle fear and anxiety—a season where our reliance on the presence of God and the truth of His word has become more and more real. Some of the keys we’ve found and been leaning into have been things like staying connected to a community, people we trust and love who can speak truth into situations. We have also been processing with the Lord through songwriting and digging deep into scriptures that speak truth over our situations and tear down lies we might be believing.

Psalms 23 has been one of the chapters that has kept us grounded in the truth throughout this process. As you read the Psalms you get to see David in every part of the journey, including a lot of expectation, wisdom, and a lot of processing in what seems like the middle of the journey, before everything is finished or figured out.

I love the moments where it seems like He speaks or declares over Himself the truth even when it doesn’t feel like He’s walking in the fullness of it— moments like “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL” or “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

I love the picture of God showing up in the middle of the battle, setting a beautiful table and serving a meal when we’re surrounded by the enemy. God is not stressed about the battle; He sees the outcome before the battle even began. The same thing is true when it comes to our lives. When we’re battling fear, depression, or anxiety over the hard things in life, I read this scripture and remind myself that God is with us. He shows up in the middle of the process even when we don’t fully see it. He guides us through the dark seasons, and even when we’re surrounded, God is so confident in the outcome and His goodness that He sets a table in the middle of it all. My hope is that I’m aware enough of what God is doing to see when He sets a table for me, whether it be through community, through a specific scripture, or just speaking truth to a moment through the Bible or His still small voice.

I pray that as we read through Psalms 23, we become aware of God working for our good in the middle of our journey. Even when we don’t understand, that we would see His truth breaking down our walls and lies we’re believing and lead us into deeper trust and relationship with Him.