The Valley of the Shadow
Jessica Hollopeter , OMS ’ Every Community for Christ
27
Day
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil , for you are with me ; your rod and your staff , they comfort me .
Missionaries can have bad days . Sometimes , those bad days stretch into a bad week or even a bad month . We start to doubt our effectiveness , our kids act out , or we feel tired of being away from family . How can we share Jesus and his hope with others when we feel as though we ’ re walking through a valley ?
First , we should remember the rod of protection . We didn ’ t go into this ministry alone , and we still aren ’ t alone . The Lord is our Shepherd , and he has assured us of his presence . We are counted among his children . No matter where we go , he has been there before us and will be there with us .
Second , we can lean upon our Shepherd ’ s staff of rest and rescue . We should never hesitate to call upon God in our times of need , even if we feel it is selfish or weak . After all , God feeds the birds of the air ; are we not of more value than they ( Matthew 6:26 )?
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