run the race – rtr

Psalm 23 is a very familiar passage from the poet-warrior David, the same David that we know to be a man after God’s own heart, who went from humble beginnings to God-given kingship. Our focus will be on the fourth verse, “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” (Proverbs 23:4). This David that we know of had the wisdom to know that God saw him, cared about where he was and what he was doing, even to the very details. While this Psalm takes on the feeling of courage, it acknowledges where this feeling comes from, knowledge of God with him. This explains just why the Psalms were so candid and open with all emotion. Through victory, hardship, loss, sin, and defeat God was with David, and listened to his cries as well as his praises. God does the same for us, for those whose trust is in the one true God, he is a present help and encourager.

Psalm 23 is a very familiar passage from the poet-warrior David, the same David that we know to be a man after God’s own heart, who went from humble beginnings to God-given kingship. Our focus will be on the fourth verse that says, “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” (Proverbs 23:4). This David that we know of had the wisdom to know that God saw him, cared about where he was and what he was doing, even to the very details. While this Psalm takes on the feeling of courage, it acknowledges where this feeling comes from, knowledge of God with him. This explains just why the Psalms were so candid and open with all emotion. Through victory, hardship, loss, sin, and defeat God was with David, and listened to his cries as well as his praises. God does the same for us, for those whose trust is in the one true God, he is a present help an

Taking a different look at the Psalms I wanted to share a quip that I would often use when referring to the Psalms that David authored, the quip was that of “mood-unstable”. What I was speaking to with that term were the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of human emotion showcased in the Psalms, something that we can appreciate and relate to as emotional people. We see ecstatic happiness, grief, anger, repentance, righteousness, depression, and certainly so much praise to God in the midst of all of these times.

The most important thing about these Psalms is that they always are written with God as the object of their call, God as the center, the one who can answer, who sees. There is no effective Psalm without God, this points us to the fact that no one can see, hear, and act on our behalf like God.

How can we run in the valley? Because we know that this same God is faithful to hear our cry, our call to him, “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears (Psalms 18:6)”. This same God is with us in the valley, his great power sustains us, “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)”.

This simple yet profound truth can give us the courage to run in the valley.

run the race.