Psalm 23~ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
This is a well-known Psalm to those inside and outside of the church. It may sound silly but one of my favorite verses, when I am worried or scared, comes from this Psalm. Psalm 23:4 tells there is nothing we will go through where God is not with us and He comforts us as we go through those times. My family recently has had two unexpected losses. I will be honest these losses have tested my faith. I do not understand why we have experienced the losses that have rocked our family. I may never understand this side of heaven why we are walking this road through the valley of death. I do know, even when I do not feel Him, He is right there. He is crying with me, His heart is broken for the pain that my family is feeling, that I am feeling. A story that I keep coming across over and over is the story of Lazarus’s death in the Gospels. Jesus cried over the loss of His friend and the pain Lazarus’ family was feeling for their loss.
We all experience loss in our lives and many different forms, through death, loss of a job, etc. We will inevitably experience loss in some form during our lifetime. I do not know what loss you have experienced in your life. Can I encourage you today that your Savior cries with you? He understands the pain of loss and is walking right beside you through the shadows even when He does not feel close. He catches your tears, wipes your eyes, and promises one day you will never feel the pain again. Please know you are loved more than anyone here on earth could ever love you. He is holding you close and is waiting for the day when He can fulfill that promise.
