Session 20

You’re not alone in the dark valley

From Psalms: A 28-Day Devotional

Sheep are pretty helpless animals. They aren’t smart, and they get scared easily. David, the author of Psalm 23, was a man who spent a lot of time around sheep as a shepherd. He used his experience as a shepherd to connect with God as his, and our, Shepherd.

David had gone through some difficult things when he wrote Psalm 23. When David says, “I walk through the darkest valley...” we get the sense that his life was falling apart around him (Psalm 23:4). David only made it through those times by focusing on two things: Who God is and what He had already done.

First, David didn’t focus on the terrible things he was facing—he focused on God. He looked to his Shepherd to keep him safe, to provide for him, and to keep him headed in the right direction. Like us, David couldn’t always figure out what was happening in his life. But, rather than focusing on how miserable his life seemed, David relied on the truth of who God is to get him through tough times.

Remembering how Jesus has helped us in the past can make it easier to trust Him with our futures.

Second, David remembered what God had done for him. Even though life was hard at times, David looked for ways God had provided for or protected him in the past. Remembering how Jesus has helped us in the past can make it easier to trust Him with our futures, too.

Trusting isn’t easy. It takes practice. But, as we learn who Jesus is and practice looking for what He has done, our trust in Him will grow, and we’ll be able to follow our Shepherd through any situation.

Reflect:

• What is one difficult situation you are facing right now?
• What is one way that Jesus has helped you in the past?
• How can focusing on who Jesus is (what He says about Himself in the Bible) help you today?