“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalms 23:4 KJV
Even in those darkest moments of life when all seems lost or hopeless, we are not alone. David realized this and was acknowledging that God was with him as He is always with us today, even in the lowest valleys of life. Once we embrace that God is with us, we stand a little taller as we choose not to fear evil. Fear happens though, but knowing that we have God on our side, walking right along with us, gives us the courage to face that fear.
In this verse, David talks about the rod and the staff, making a parallel to the shepherd again. Shepherds would use their rod to protect their sheep from predators as they used the rod to strike the predator. They use their staff to guide their sheep by placing the hooked end around the sheep and physically guiding the sheep back to the herd. When a shepherd is carrying his rod and staff, he is able to protect the sheep and guide them. This is a source of comfort to the sheep, and in that same way David is using this imagery to say that God, the ultimate Shepherd, is able to protect and guide us as well.
This verse, in particular, in the psalm has also brought comfort to a lot of people who have been in their last days as they think about walking through the valley of death. To know that they will not take that walk alone brings peace of mind, and not only to them but to their loved ones as well. This particular verse in this psalm brought my mother and myself comfort in her last days as she knew she would not need to fear death. We both knew that she would not walk that path alone and that when she made it through the valley, she would be with God for all of eternity.
This was only guaranteed for my mother because she was born again. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, then that is not how you will experience the valley of death when your time comes. I cannot urge everyone enough to really look at your life and determine if you want to have a close relationship with Jesus or walk that valley alone. You don’t have to ever be alone, God will always be with you, but you need to accept Him and reach out for Him.