The Truth About Shadows

Jan 9, 2015 The Truth About Shadows by Rick Warren “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.”Psalm 23:4 (ESV) One of the common sources of stress is loss. You can lose your job, your health, your money, your reputation, or a loved one. When people go through loss, there are always two common reactions. One is fear, and the other is grief. Grief is good. Grief is the way we get through the transitions of life. In fact, if you don’t grieve, you get stuck! Grief will not kill you if you let it out. On the other hand, fear is a bad thing. Not once in the Bible does it say, “Grieve not,” “Sorrow not,” “Weep not,” or “Cry not.” What it does say is “Fear not.” And it says that 365 times! Because grief doesn’t paralyze; fear does. David says in Psalm 23:4, “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” (ESV).            Shepherds always carried a rod and a staff to protect their sheep. David knew that, in the same way, God has the tools to protect him, and he trusted him, even in the darkest valleys. Some of you are going through the valley of the shadow right now — maybe the valley of the shadow of death. It may be the valley of the shadow of debt. It may be the valley of the shadow of conflict. It may be the valley of the shadow of depression. It may be the valley of the shadow of discouragement. Shadows are scary. Remember how you used to be afraid of shadows when you were lying in bed as a kid? I’ve learned a few things about shadows. First, shadows can’t hurt you. Second, shadows are always bigger than the source. And — here’s the good news — wherever there’s a shadow, there has to be a light. You can’t have a shadow without light. So the key when you’re going through the valley of the shadow is to turn your back on the shadow and look at the light. Because as long as you keep your eyes on the light — Jesus, the light of the world — the shadow won’t scare you. That’s how you go through the valley of the shadow of death. That’s how you lower your stress. You trust God in the dark valleys, just like David, who prayed, “When I am ready to give up, he knows what I should do” (Psalm 142:3a TEV). Talk It Over What are the shadows you’ve recently been facing? Why are they so daunting to you? How can memorizing Scripture help you face the fears in your life? Why do you think fear stresses people out? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiawQT9ucQo Don’t Be Just “Good Enough” TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria God has planted His seed of hope, power and victory inside of you! All you have to do is allow God to bring the best out of your life and decide you won’t settle for “good enough.” It may not always be easy to do this, but it’s very possible! Perhaps you have made a hurtful mistake in your past, and that is still haunting you. If you let the enemy tell you that you’re not good enough for God’s forgiveness, then you’re settling for less than God’s victory. Setbacks are part of life, but Jesus said He came to give you an abundant life! If you decide to strive for excellence, there is no limit to what the Lord can do through you and with you. A PRAYER FOR TODAY God, I know that You have given me forgiveness and desire that I live in victory. I choose to live in Your victory today and not settle for “good enough.” In Jesus’ Name. Amen.