When You Walk Through the Valley
Welcome to our Psalm 23 series “More of God’s Presence”. We are walking through the valley in Psalm 23 this week and I hope you are encouraged by the simple words below. If you have missed the other posts in this series, you can find them here:
Week 1: The Shepherd
Week 2: Green Grass
Week 3: Still Waters
Week 4: Restoration
Week 5: My Worth
The Valley
Yea, 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
Sometimes it’s easy to ask for prayer, for help, for support. You shout out on Facebook or through a text message and ask your friends to lift you up in prayer. Other times putting words together to make a complete thought seems impossible. The valleys of life are dark. We all walk through them at one time or another.
For some the valley looks like cancer. For others the valley looks like tragedy. For many the valley looks like financial crisis and stress that seems like it will never end. And then there’s the valley of death. That one is really hard to beat.
It takes a toll on family and friends and literally leaves a shadow for years to come. The grief is hard to define because it comes in like a freight train when you least expect it. And other times it just looms like a simple shadow. You always know it’s there, but dealing with it and making sense of it is complicated.
Valleys are hard. They hurt and can be oh so lonely. I’m talking about the ones that take your breath away and leave you with no words.
If you are going through a valley, I want to share a simple song with you that God gave me recently as I remembered some difficult valleys I have walked through. My valleys will be different than yours, but they are valleys just the same. It might be the valley of pain, the valley of broken dreams, or the valley of anxiety, but all of us have a common bond – we all go through some sort of valley at some point in our life.
In my valleys there have been specific things God put in my path that brought a smile to my life – people, a kind word, a song, a verse, an encouraging note. I hope the words of this song will bring you a smile today. I don’t know what you face, but I know this – God has given me a smile even in the shadow, even in the desperate unknown. God is with us in the valleys. God is with you.
Anyway
by Micah Maddox
When God feels far away
And there’s no more words to pray
When friends have nothing to say
But the pain won’t go away
Trust God has a plan for you
He is faithful, and His love is true
It’s time to uncover your eyes
See God working in each of our lives
Be kind anyway
Smile anyway
Do right anyway
Even if it don’t go your way
It’s time to embrace this place
Stop running after the chase
Cause God, He knows your name
With Him you’ll never be the same
Smile anyway
Smile anyway
When fear takes hold of you
You feel you can’t make it through
Just think on what’s good and true
Remember His grace brand new
Cause God’s still working on you
No matter what you think or do
It’s time to let Him hold you strong
No matter what’s going wrong
God is willing to hold you through the night
He is faithful, for His children He will fight
So hold on tight and don’t let go
In the morning new mercy you will know
Be kind anyway
Smile anyway
Do right anyway
Even if it don’t go your way
It’s time to embrace this place
Stop running after the chase
Cause God, He knows your name
With Him you’ll never be the same
Smile anyway
Smile anyway
If this has been an encouragement to you, pass it on!
Love & Blessings,
Micah