The verb walk is most interesting. I remember as a boy, out late at night, not walking but running home, because I was scared. So often when we come to difficulties and hard ex periences in life, we have a tendency to either jump at conclusions and run for the nearest exit, or of stand ing still and being petrified, not knowing what to do. Notice that the verse states, “I walk through the valley.” How care ful the Spirit of God is, even when it comes to the prepositions! The word through suggests to us progress toward a destination. I t doesn’t read, “Yea, though I walk in the valley” for it is not a settled abiding place, but something we are to go through. Death is not an enduring condition nor even an abiding place. In Isaiah 43:2 we read, “When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee, and when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned.” You see what the Spirit of God is suggesting to us ? These problems, th e se heartaches, these burdens, these difficulties, what ever they may be, are not going to
last; you’re not going to stay in the midst of them forever. The Lord is going to take you on through. In the city of Damascus there’s a long, dark, narrow lane, with build ings and walls on both sides of the passage way. It’s a very depressing place to go through, travellers tell us. It ends at an even darker and more foreboding tunnel which, when finally traversed through, empties in to the beautifully flowered court yard of a palace. What a picture this is of settled confidence the believer may realize; on the other side is complete victory and abounding joy! The “valley” is suggestive of a chasm. There was just such a place between Jerusalem and the road to Jericho. A valley reminds us of the fact that there’s higher ground on either side. Note where this verse is situated in the 23rd Psalm. I probab ly would have placed it right at the end of the chapter, for death seems to be the final word. The phrase, however, is almost exactly in the middle of the chapter. The reason for this is that not always at the end of life do we find death as a lurking foe. Sometimes there is a day to day and hand to hand encounter with the specter of death. Let’s just keep in mind that we’re merely pilgrims with our home on the other side. A little girl was walking along by the side of a graveyard, whistling and singing happily without a seem ing care or woriy. A woman stopped and asked her, “Little girl, aren’t you afraid ? After all, this is a ceme tery.” She laughed and pointed across the fields to the other side explain ing. “Oh, no, you see my home is just on the other side.” So as we see dark shadows during this life time, we too can say “Such things don’t bother me; they’re not my con cern, for my home is just on the other side.” The brightness of the sunlight of God’s love waits to shine in upon you. Death, you see, is a physical act which affects the body but can
Ribboncuting ceremonies inaugurate Biola's new fountain to be used by students as well as facultyandstaff. Dr. Samuel H. Sufherland (center), cuts the ribbonwith the assistance of RickAllen, Associated Student Body president, at the right. To the left is Mr. David Morton, student chairman of the Colege Union Board. BehindDr. Sutherlandand Mr. Allen is the Rev. Keneth B. Daniels, director of the Christian Service Department of Biola.
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