Have you ever had a near death experience? Have you ever been surrounded by the valley of death as a loved one slipped through to the next life? The shadow of death is an awful place to be. It is lonely. It is painful. It is nerve-racking. It is sad and angering at the same time--some are broken in the valley while others shake their fists in defiance.
We run from the valley. We live our lives in such a way as to avoid it at all costs. It usually sneaks up on us despite all our actions to fight it off--the right diets, the right make-up, the right clothes, the right plastic surgery, the right partner, etc. Make no mistake about...we reject the valley of the shadow. We do not want to be there.
The fact of the matter is this: we are surrounded by the shadow everyday. People all around us everywhere we go are living in the valley's darkness. Don't let them fool you by all the gimmicks designed to stave off the darkness (diets, make-up, clothes, plastic surgery, sex, etc.)--they dwell right there in the darkness.
In one sense they are privy to the valley because their lives are given to covering it up. In another sense, however, they are blind to exactly what it is they are trying to cover up. Darkness means there is no light. Without light, there is no exposure to the source of the problem. The source of the problem and the answer to the problem must be exact opposites.
The answer to the problem...the answer to the darkness...is the presence of Jesus ("on them a light has dawned"); the source of the problem is the lack of the presence of Jesus ("those dwelling in darkness").
The application is two-fold:
- For we on whom the light has shined (who enjoy the presence of Jesus)--this truth changes the way we face our valley of death. Those trials and struggles and pains and losses we experience are lived out under the light of Christ. We can and we must (if we claim Christ) face those dark times under the realization that they are all exposed by Christ. He is our Great Shepherd in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23)!
- For those around us who do not enjoy the presence of Jesus--this truth changes the way we look at the lost. We must not look down our pious, judgmental noses! We must become broken-hearted for those living in the valley. We must realize the answer to their darkness has dawned; the light of life has come. And just as Jesus began (in the above passage) to preach the Kingdom at hand AND call fishers of men to His service, we must see our place in Jesus' light coming to shine upon and expose the valley of the shadow of death for those around us.
