The most famous line in the most famous psalm. You walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but you don't walk alone. That's the promise. Not that you won't go through dark places, but that God goes with you through them.
I used to read this as a comfort - God will protect me. But the verse says 'shadow of death,' not actual death. It's the fear, the appearance of death, the proximity of danger. It's real danger. It's just that death itself doesn't have to be the final point.
My grandmother used to quote this verse when she was in the hospital, dying. She said it meant she didn't have to be afraid even though the valley was real, even though the danger was real. The Lord was with her. That's not denial. That's acknowledging the valley and the fear and refusing to let either one be the final word.
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