Psalm 23:4 Part 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.
Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
One serious side-effect of getting older is that many things change—health, friends, locations and churches. When we moved to Scottsdale in 1981, the most welcoming group of people we encountered were the Scottsdale Bible Church members who were a generation older than ourselves. Today, many of our oldest and dearest friends have walked through the valley of the shadow of death and they are sorely missed.
The cycle of life is surely a divine idea. It is clear that someone else—someone immortal—is holding the universe together. In fact, the decades of my entire life are like viewing a 5 second clip from God’s never ending story:
0-20 Years LEARNING; 20-40 Years JOURNEY; 40-60 Years GROWTH
60-80 Years TREASURE; 80 + Years BONUS!
Seeing my life measured out in these few lines reminds me that choosing a pathway to the right attitudes is of utmost importance. Where do I turn for guidance? Is there someone who can advise me how to live my life? Who will make sure I am headed in the right direction? Who will guarantee I will end up without regrets?
This is when I feel enormously envious of Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth. Anyone it surrounds is compelled to tell the truth. I would love to have a Lasso of Truth at my disposal. Sometimes I just need a good dose of reality to help me avoid the blurriness and deception so commonplace in this present age!
But then, I think, whose reality can I trust? Who is a worthy of my lasso? The TRUTH I am looking for—longing for—requires a divine perspective much larger than any human being can possibly offer. After some contemplation, I once again consider the perfect guide, the perfect protector, the perfect comforter who said, I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life… (John 14:6).
Jesus alone knows the way ahead and He is taking me where I want to go! He tenderly and gently guides me along a well-worn pathway where I, too, will eventually jump to light speed!