“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.”

Valley of the shadow of death

This is a picture of darkness and evil in this world. The valley is the darkest part of the land, it’s where the water flows to support the growth of large trees to cast long shadows. And the low ground is more subject to ambush than the high ground.

I will fear no evil

This is not a statement of personal courage.
No matter how strong we are, there are always people who are stronger and more devious that we can imagine. We have many good reasons for fear, there is much in this fallen world of sin that is evil, and many people seem to thrive on violence and malevolence. And painful failures in health are frightening, my memories of waiting in hospital emergency area are not nice. And even so called “natural” events can be terrifying.
This is both:
(1) a statement of God’s almighty power that is greater than any evil, and
(2) a statement of personal choice.
At those times of crisis, while we may take swift and decisive action, or succumb to a despondent outlook, we still have a choice at that time to remember God’s presence, and to rely on His wisdom and power, which is far greater than anything this world can throw against us. We are not strong within ourselves, but when we live in daily fellowship with Him, we can rely on His loving care – not to avoid danger, but to carry us through the most frightening parts of life in this fallen world.

For You are with me;

Like David, we can also testify to God’s loving presence in our lives, through the experience of living each day in dependence on Him, and in spending time in fellowship with Him. His presence is the greatest certainty we have in this life, which gives a sense of ultimate calm and peace.

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me

I read the rod is a short club used by the shepherd to keep predators away. The staff is the long pole with a crook I remember from Sunday School, used to guide sheep and also rescue them when they fell into crevices between rocks. They are symbols of God’s power to guide and protect us.

Personal

While I can think of many times when God’s hand seemed to guide me through a crisis, or save me from a dangerous situation, this verse takes on a special meaning when I realise what Jesus has done for us. Jesus took on himself on the cross the suffering due to sin for the whole world. 1 John 2:2 reads, “He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus has suffered the worst of this world’s pain and suffering, there is no painful path we are called to tread where he has not walked the way before us. We can even face the last enemy of earthly death, knowing we are following in His steps, in the way He has prepared for us, and that He is waiting to receive us.

On evil

The presence of evil in this world is more subtle and sinister than the popular image of Satan or the Devil would show, and I have two examples.
Last night I read of a recent incident in London, when on a passenger train a man was exposing himself to families on the train. When another guy confronted him, the fellow became abusive and aggressive, so a few other guys helped, including an off duty policeman, to wrestle him onto the floor and take him off the train at the next station, where he was taken by police to hospital under the Mental Health Act. But it’s the end of the story that is really sinister. The British Transport Police announced they are investigating the matter with a view to prosecuting the other passengers for assault.

I am regularly reminded of how universities have become centres for imposing idiotic falsehood rather than centres of excellence in the search for truth. There are some faculties that have escaped the worst of this trend, but fear of losing their job has made many staff foresake logical reason, while many others have quit in disgust.

When people choose to fear evil, we can see the brokenness of this world, with these two examples of public institutions persuing the opposite of what they were set up to do (defend the public on trains, and discover the truth).

So, our choice to fear the Lord instead of fearing evil is a liberating choice, and as Proverbs 9:10 says, it is the beginning of wisdom.
May God give us the courage to rely on His strength and guidance in all we face in this life.