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Right now, somewhere in the world people are dealing with tragedy --
lost in a vortex of grief. In the last few months we've heard the news
.. 32 killed on Virginia Tech campus; 6 trapped and 3 dead in Utah
mine. Monstrous Greek fire death toll reaches 64. Minneapolis Bridge
collapse kills 13. China bridge death toll rises to 64. Peru quake
kills at least 519. And, perhaps during these months you, like me, have
experienced grief on a personal level.
Unless we are there in the middle of the smell and pain of death,
unless we are personally touched by the loss and grief, we may find
that the news washes past us leaving us barely affected and only
momentarily distracted. In fact, in the U.S. we have almost removed the
death experience from our lives.
How many times have you watched someone die?
For the faith giant, death is not to be feared, nor is grief to be
avoided. Death is not the end, not the period at the end of the
sentence; it is a comma pointing the way to more, much more. And, grief
-- the shadow of death -- is a window to God.
Every time we feel the grief, the sadness, the loss and pain, we are
forced out of the shallows and into the deep. We don't like it, but
that's the way life is. The non-believer sees only tragedy and pain;
the faith giant sees God and hears his voice. God is always in the
deep.
Hidden within the most quoted words of Israel's King David, there is a
truth missed by many.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
(Psalm 23:4 NASB)
How is comfort possible when I hurt so much? How is fear dispelled when
I'm so shaken and uncertain about the future?
Answer: Look again at the beginning of the Psalm ... It is God who is
guiding you in the paths of righteousness for his name sake ... those
paths lead through the valley of the shadow of death ... For giants in
the faith, God is more than a standard guide; he also knows the way and
he also knows us. He loves us, and above all, he knows the pain of
loss.
He has the touch, the comfort touch. And when everything is said and
done, without explanation or reservation, his touch will have restored
our souls.
Believe it. Count on it. You see, I've found him in the shadows,
myself.
Only God knows how to comfort that kind of grief. And true to his
promise he was more than a guide; his presence reassured us all and
strengthened our faith. And I felt his touch and heard his voice.
And, before I knew what had happened, he had used those moments to
restore my soul.
In the valley of the shadow of death we have a choice. Like so many
around us, we can choose to see only pain and heartache and fear, or we
can choose to look beyond what we see -- to see the unseen. So what
will you do?
Pray! Faith giants feel his touch, sense his presence (the Rod), are
renewed with his power (the Staff), and hear his voice (the Comfort).
After all, he is the Master Comforter.
Remember, no one wants to go through the valley of the shadow; but when
we do, we have a guide that's been there before. He knows the way and
he will lead us through. God_bless you all. Disciple Of Christ, Thomas.
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