Psalm 23:4

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4) 

This verse doesn't promise that we'll never walk through dark valleys. It doesn't say the shepherd will keep us on sunny hilltops forever. Instead, it acknowledges something real: sometimes life takes us through genuinely difficult places. Loss, grief, uncertainty, fear are all parts of the human experience that we are sure to face. The purpose of human suffering causes many people to question their faith. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? 

The psalmist isn't saying the valley disappears or that the darkness lifts. Instead, presence matters more than comfort. Sometimes the most powerful spiritual experience isn't feeling good; it's feeling known in the midst of pain. During Lent, as we contemplate Christ's suffering and our own need for redemption, this verse reminds us that God doesn't abandon us in our darkest moments. God walks with us through them. 

If you're in a valley right now, this verse isn't toxic positivity trying to convince you everything's fine. It's an invitation to notice where God might already be present in your struggle. Can you sense his presence in a friend's support, in an unexpected moment of peace? Today, find comfort in the knowledge that you're not the first person to walk this path and you won't be the last. As many times as we walk through seasons of darkness, God will never abandon us. In fact, we sometimes feel His presence the most when the darkness is all we can see. 

Julianna Morelock