When Death is Only a Shadow Away

The Divine Shepherd 

A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;

he makes me lie down in green pastures,

 He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. 

He leads me in paths of righteousness

 for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I fear no evil; for thou art with me; 

thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

 Thou preparest a table before me 

in the presence of my enemies; 

you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 

all the days of my life, 

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

We have seen death this year, in numbers we have not seen before in our lifetime. Many of those deaths were related to Covid-19, others were not. In recent times, almost everyone has lost someone to death, either a direct relation or someone remotely connected to you. Surrounded by such a high magnitude  of people exiting into eternity, we were forced to contemplate a subject usually shoved aside: life, death and the meaning of it all. The Covid-19 pandemic is a “noisome pestilence” that operated primarily by the spirit of fear, the fear of death. Unrelenting, fear would torment both the living and the dying if you let it. Wrapped in the piercing claws of fear, there is only one outcome for its victims: torment. 

The antidote for fear is love.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). 

To know love is to know God, for God is Love (1 John 4:16). God demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, God sent His Son, Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8). 

Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.…(Hebrews 2:14-16). 

David in Psalm 23 could declare boldly “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil” only because of his assurance that God was with Him! Do you have that same assurance? Do you know Immanuel? – That is the name of Jesus prophesied by the mouth of the prophet;
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and she will call Him Immanuel which means, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14).

One reason some people may be so scared of dying is because they see death as a destination. Death is not a destination, it is a passageway to eternity. That is why the Psalmist says: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." We are meant to walk through. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, death opens the door to eternal torment. However, for the believer in Jesus Christ, it is merely a passageway to life everlasting. If you believe in Jesus, the power of the devil to torment you with the fear of death is broken. Then you can look death in the face and say “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Hallelujah! Death is swallowed up in victory! The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!… (1 Corinthians 15:55 -57).