by Rev Douglas Brauner

Jesus walks with you through death’s darkness.

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“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.”
Psalm 23:4 English Standard Version

Every day we walk through the “valley of the shadow of death.”

Red Rocks Canyon, Colorado Springs, Colorado

However, our fantasy is that God will keep us from dying. Isn’t that what God is supposed to do? He exists to make our lives free of anxiety. We don’t want to walk the path where death might be around the next bend. We want a yellow-brick road that leads to the perfect land of Oz, but even danger and death filled the journey on the yellow-brick road.

King David knew that death was not a respecter of age. King Saul wanted to kill him, his enemies pursed him, and his son, Absalom, hated him. All of these people, and others, would have preferred David’s death to his life. In addition, his infant son, born to Bathsheba, died.

Like David, our life is a stroll through the reality that we too will die. We began walking this path from the moment we were conceived in our mother’s womb. However, David would not allow this knowledge of death to rule his life. He boldly proclaims, “I will fear no evil.” Though David had known evil, evil would not rule him.

He understood that God was with him in the midst of his journey.

As the baptized children of God we have even less reason to be afraid. Jesus has conquered death. He is alive. Through Jesus we have already received this life. Yes, the day is coming when our lungs will stop breathing, and our heart stop beating, but death has been swallowed up in victory.

“‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'” 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 English Standard Version

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