“For you are with me.”
The Cross makes fellowship possible. Yesterday we learned that any barriers that stand between us and God have been removed. This is the act of a Good shepherd that loves His sheep. Luke 15 tells us that He will leave the 99 sheep to go find the lost one. It also tells us that He will turn the house upside down to find the one lost coin! God has spared nothing to make reconciliation possible. It is the message of the cross! It is the message of psalm 23…It is the message of the Bible as a whole!
Yet, this is the very thing that the atheist sees as the weakness of our faith in Jesus. Only fools believe in a God that would go to the cross on behalf of His creation. But, this is the very thing that calms our fears in the dak times. Not just the fact that He said He wold always be with us, but that He will do anything to make us into people of character…even if it means going through the valley of the shadow of death. In fact, the scripture never promises a free pass out of suffering and sorrow. It only reminds us of the presence of our loving Shepherd who said He would never leave us or forsake us. This Good Shepherd does not run when the wolf comes. He says and protects the sheep even if it requires sacrificing His own life…and it did.
Maybe you are thinking…”Okay, we got it…God is with us.” If you believe that then you will live each day with a refreshing sense of purpose that allows you to rise above your circustances and walk in His wonderous presence!
So, let me remind you, as we continue to journey through this Psalm,
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid, for you are with me.”