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 ESV

Welcome back to our examination of Psalm 23 and what it means to have the Lord as our Shepherd. Last week I skipped the first part of verse 4 to discuss the Shepherd’s rod and staff, but today I’d like to circle back to those first three lines.

The shadow of death is something that our family has walked through three times in as many months. At the beginning of summer, my husband’s uncle, my father-in-law’s brother passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Just a few weeks ago, another of his uncles, another of my father-in-law’s brothers, passed away after battling the after-effects of a stroke for several months. Then, just in the last week, my husband’s young cousin, the grandson of his uncle who passed earlier this summer, passed away after complications from surgery to repair a childhood heart condition.

Our hearts have been heavy, and it seems unfair that so much loss should happen in the same family in such a short time.

And yet, though countless tears have fallen, though our family feels their absence, we also know that, in Christ, we have not lost our loved ones at all.

You see, each was able to give assurance in their lives that they knew Jesus Christ as their Savior and so, as a dear pastor pointed out in his funeral message, someone cannot be lost if you know where they are. We know that those three wonderful men are in Heaven, celebrating for eternity with the saints. And, for those of us who also know Jesus as our Savior, this is not “Goodbye” but rather, “See you later”.

As I reflect on this truth, I recall to mind something my own beloved pastor has said before, that Psalm 23:4 discusses the “shadow of death” because a shadow is all that those who are in Christ will experience when it comes to death.

Listen to the words of Jesus on the matter of death:

• “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV)
• “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:50-51 ESV).
• “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 ESV)

Beloved, what joy, what hope, what peace is found when we recall that those who are in Christ, who have confessed and repented of their sin and received the saving grace of God given through the Son, that these saints never know death, but in leaving the earthly body behind, experience life forevermore.

And what a life it is! No pain! No tears! No conflict! Eternal joy in the presence of Almighty God!

So friends, when our loved ones in Christ are called home to be with the Lord, we do not experience loss at all, but rather a time of physical separation. An uncomfortable time of separation, yes. A time when we long for the ability to call or just text Heaven for a brief word of encouragement or advice from the ones we love, certainly. But still, just a time, just a shadow of death, not an eternity of separation, not death in full at all.

And one day, should the passing of our own flesh occur before the sound of the trumpet call of Christ’s return, all those who have put their trust in Jesus will experience but the shadow of death. This is why the psalmist writes “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me”.

There is no need to fear evil when you walk into eternity with the Light of the World, our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Friend of Sinners, Savior and Lord.

Yet, as we celebrate these truths – and we should celebrate them! – we must also be mindful to allow them to drive us to a sense of urgency for our family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers whose physical death truly will be a loss for us, those who will be lost to us for all eternity because they were not in Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, we must remember that every life goes on into eternity, but it is in Christ and Christ alone that eternal life is lived in Heaven, in the presence of God, in eternal joy and pleasure (Revelation 7:15-17). Those whose names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, who never knew Jesus as their Lord and Savior on this earth, for these, eternity is filled with the fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) with eternal destruction, separated from the presence of God (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Believer, as the Redeemed of the Lord, it is your responsibility and my responsibility, and our joy and honor as well, to share with everyone we meet the wonderous works of the Lord that they too may come to know Him in a very real and personal way. It is the Father’s desire that no one should be lost, and that all should come to repentance and know His saving grace (2 Peter 3:9).

Lord, may it be our deepest desire and our daily mission that none should be lost, that all should experience the eternal joy of Your presence, that all pass through but the shadow of death, walking in the light of our glorious Shepherd, Jesus Christ! Amen.