What I See I Am
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.
“Yea” = Even
“Though I” = personal, me find my self thinking I am elsewhere
“walk” = have the perception of travel or journey.
“through” = There is another end, this is not "into" this is through, I shall get out.
“the valley” = Depths, walls on both sides. Conversely there are heights or there could be no depths or valleys.
“of the shadow” = Not a real thing. Like the shadow animals in a child's show, the shadow is not real it is always conjured up in our mind. We create "The shadow of” in our minds. The shadow is our perception.
“death” = The ultimate fear because of the unknown, but God does not know death, it is therefore a shadow in Our minds. God is eternal and as will be explained later so are we. Yet we travel in our minds into a creation of our own doing, a valley of a Shadow, (not real) of death (not real)
“I will fear no evil.” = This affirmation is a recognition that fear and evil will not come near because:
“for thou (GOD) art with me” = this is the affirmation that we recognize under all circumstances God is with us, even in the most frightening situations that we conjure up in our thoughts.
“Thy rod and thy staff” = the rod and staff represent God's Laws, God's Love.
“they comfort me”. = God as a being cannot be seen. God's laws and love are representative of God being with us. We are aware of God's laws and love. We know there is no law or love greater than God’s and it is ever present.
The Twenty Third Psalm doesn't say we will not be uncomfortable. It does say we are protected and comforted even in our discomfort.
There is the school of thought that if we are with God all will be rosy and wonderful and when we are not with God we are being punished or under the influence of another power (the devil). There is no other power but God and we will not always feel rosy and wonderful as we are in God’s presence.
Being in total tune with God is the state we work to recognize, because as the Psalm states we are always in God. As we work to recognize that state we experience the valley's of the shadows we create by not being in total tune with God. But, we are just passing through those valley's of shadows. Those valleys of shadows lead us closer to God. As we pass through them we are not comfortable, but God is always with us. The knowledge of God's power through God's law and love comforts us. There is no punishment or judgment. If there is a devil, it is another shadow. There is only God. All things are of God. All things are God. God is good. Therefore, all things must be good even if we perceive they are not.
The Twenty Third Psalm
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He
leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths
of righteousness for His name' sake.
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.
Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup
runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell
in the House of the Lord forever.
What I see I Am
Copyright Ronald O. Masters II, 2010 All Rights Reserved Copying is permitted if the author is credited.
