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Like right now I was just reading Psalm 23 and it hit me that... How did sheep being led by a good Shepherd end up there in the valley of the shadow of death??? Which one is this one??? Like, sometimes you can be exactly where God is leading you and still find yourself walking through a valley. We often assume that if God is with us, the road should become easier but Psalm 23 gives us a different picture... Sometimes the Shepherd leads beside still waters. Sometimes the Shepherd leads through dark valleys. Both can be evidence of His presence. Why even walk through the valley? Surely there are easier roads. Surely there are flatter roads. Surely there are roads with more sunlight. What type of Shepherd is this that can't find another route?? 🤷🏾‍♂️ Why is the GPS making you pass through the Soshanguve of life? But perhaps the question is not: “Is there an easier road?” Perhaps the question is: “Where is the Shepherd taking me?” Because the easiest road is not necessarily the right road. Like, there are destinations you cannot reach by remaining in the pasture. Where it is safe. Where the roads don't have potholes. Where Helen Zille cannot campaign swimming in a sinkhole. There are things God develops in valleys that comfort cannot produce, bazalwane! There are things you learn about God in darkness that you could never learn when everything is going well. Notice how the Bible Says “Through”? David says: “Though I walk through the valley…” He doesn't say: “Though I live in the valley." or “Though I build my house in the valley.” or “Though I die in the valley.” He says: “Though I walk through…” That means the valley is a passage, not necessarily the destination. When you're standing in the middle of it, it can feel permanent. We feel like we are residents of a dark valley we are only supposed to go THROUGH. Grief feels permanent. Financial trouble feels permanent. A broken relationship feels permanent. Failure feels permanent. Loneliness feels permanent. Uncertainty feels permanent. But the language of the Psalm is movement. Keep walking. 😭❤️