The Good Shepherd: Devotions Inspired by Psalm 23Àpẹrẹ

The Only Way Out 

By Zac Rowe 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7–8 (ESV) 

I’ve always been fascinated by the seasons changing. Growing up in Louisiana, our “seasons” were sometimes hard to distinguish, but I’ve always loved the first sight of an orange or red leaf peeking through the sea of green pine and cypress trees. There’s something so special about the change of the seasons being revealed in God’s creation; we’re invited to take a closer look at the nature we’ve hurried by hundreds of times. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to know when the seasons of your life were about to change? Imagine receiving a “red-leaf notification” that soon you’d be departing a bright mountaintop season and heading into the darkness of “the valley.” 

On our journey through Psalm 23, we’ve arrived at that uneasy point—the edge of the valley. It’s a level playing field representing the issues and difficulties no one is exempt from walking through. 

My first experience with the valley occurred when I was nine years old, and my mom told our family about her cancer diagnosis. We believed in God—praying for her healing for over a year while she battled the disease through treatment. Ultimately, after a hard fight, my mom passed away two weeks before Christmas. 

Almost 20 years later, as a married man with four children, I found myself facing the edge of the valley again. While going to check on our two-month-old son Oxford, my wife found him unresponsive and not breathing—it was apparent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Driving behind the ambulance, I cried out to God to save our son’s life and bring him back to us. Three days later, we experienced a miracle, and we were able to leave the hospital with our completely healthy baby boy. 

I’ve come through the valley with heartbreak and unanswered prayers, and I’ve come through the valley with the outcome I wanted. But each time I’ve come through, I’ve seen God prove Himself to be good. He was near to me when I was brokenhearted, willing to walk me through a process of healing and answering my questions and doubts along the way. God has done miracles in my life and my family’s lives—literally bringing my son back from the dead as we prayed. 

Have you ever thought, Why does the Good Shepherd lead us through the valley at all? Surely there’s a way around every difficult place. But while it would feel so much easier if God led us only from mountaintop to mountaintop, the truth is we’d be missing a piece of His nature along the way. So He guides us through the valley, ministering to us through His presence and moving us through His power. 

There is a certain nearness of God—a light of His Spirit—that can only be seen in the valley of shadows. He wants us to experience His fullness, especially in that place. God is not intimidated by difficulty, and He does not inch away from darkness. Instead, our omnipresent God leads us onward in full confidence because at the same time He’s with us in the valley, He’s also on the other side of it shaping a future full of our good and His glory. 

Psalm 23:4 (NIV) contains an incredible promise hidden in plain sight. It says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley ... . ” This Scripture declares there is another side, and we’re going to make it there. We’re not called to stay in the valley. We’re there so we can go through it. Maybe you’ve turned your back on the valley because you still remember the hard times and days you were caught in its’ ominous reach. Today, with the power of God filling you, I urge you to turn around and face it. Take the hand of your heavenly Father, a very present help in time of need. Look toward Him. You’ll see He’s not shaken or surprised by what’s ahead. And as the Good Shepherd guides you through the valley, you can trust that He genuinely knows and cares about what you’re feeling deep down inside. 

The only way out is through. May you see God’s goodness as you take the next step through the valley with Him. 

PRAYER 

Lord, today we pray all our trust would be in You. May we be filled with faith that just as You’ve brought us through the valley before, You’ll do it again. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION   

• Remember the times in your life when God has brought you through difficulty. Ask Him to give you faith to trust Him to bring you through your current situation.   
• Ask the Lord to fill you with courage to face what’s ahead of you. Imagine yourself grabbing His hand and taking the next step through the valley.

Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me today?

MEMORY VERSE

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4