February 23rd, 2026
Monday, February 23
_______________________________________________
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters; he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
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 23:1-4
________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters; he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
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 23:1-4
________________________________________________
The valley of the shadow of death is dark and lonely. It’s isolating. You feel disconnected – disconnected from life, from the world, from joy, from loved ones, from everything. In moments where death and darkness show up, you quickly realize that on your own you cannot find your way out of the darkness. The darkness is just too dark for your efforts.
It’s not that there is no light. It’s just not something you have in yourself. You find you are completely dependent. This is a tough place to be in. But, perhaps the valley of the shadow of death is actually good.
There’s a great song by the band The Brilliance titled, “May You Find a Light” (link to the Spotify Lent playlist). It’s about lost and weary travelers searching for a way to go, for home, for companionship. It’s about the darkness we all experience, the darkness that reminds us that death looms still in our world and in our lives. We’re all the weary, searching, and lonely at some time or another, or we certainly know someone who is.
The Psalmist does not avoid the fact that life includes both times of abundance and rest and times of darkness and death. We all know this. The Psalmist is also clear that the Lord is equally present in both. He’s not looking for God “on the other side” or when he “gets through it.” That is half-faith. The Psalmist acknowledges the presence of the Lord in darkness and death.
The chorus to the song “May You Find a Light,” states, “may you find a light to guide you home.” There is a light, friends. And it shines in the darkness. It shines in the valley of the shadow of death. It is Christ who is with us in the valley of darkness and death. This means it’s not a light we have in our own resources. We’re not strong enough or capable enough on our own. Eventually, if we’re thinking we’re “strong” enough, we’ll find we will lose the battle to death and darkness.
Lent reminds us of these things. There is darkness and death. It is part of our humanity. It will close in on all of us at one point. Our culture wants so desperately to avoid it, to not talk about it, to escape it. Or we wrongly think “you got this.” We don’t. The Psalmist knows it. Perhaps we should listen to the ancient paths. Become friends with the darkness and death. I dare you. Only here will we learn that the light of Christ enables you to see things in the dark you would never have otherwise had the eyes to see.
May you find the light.
________________________________________________
It’s not that there is no light. It’s just not something you have in yourself. You find you are completely dependent. This is a tough place to be in. But, perhaps the valley of the shadow of death is actually good.
There’s a great song by the band The Brilliance titled, “May You Find a Light” (link to the Spotify Lent playlist). It’s about lost and weary travelers searching for a way to go, for home, for companionship. It’s about the darkness we all experience, the darkness that reminds us that death looms still in our world and in our lives. We’re all the weary, searching, and lonely at some time or another, or we certainly know someone who is.
The Psalmist does not avoid the fact that life includes both times of abundance and rest and times of darkness and death. We all know this. The Psalmist is also clear that the Lord is equally present in both. He’s not looking for God “on the other side” or when he “gets through it.” That is half-faith. The Psalmist acknowledges the presence of the Lord in darkness and death.
The chorus to the song “May You Find a Light,” states, “may you find a light to guide you home.” There is a light, friends. And it shines in the darkness. It shines in the valley of the shadow of death. It is Christ who is with us in the valley of darkness and death. This means it’s not a light we have in our own resources. We’re not strong enough or capable enough on our own. Eventually, if we’re thinking we’re “strong” enough, we’ll find we will lose the battle to death and darkness.
Lent reminds us of these things. There is darkness and death. It is part of our humanity. It will close in on all of us at one point. Our culture wants so desperately to avoid it, to not talk about it, to escape it. Or we wrongly think “you got this.” We don’t. The Psalmist knows it. Perhaps we should listen to the ancient paths. Become friends with the darkness and death. I dare you. Only here will we learn that the light of Christ enables you to see things in the dark you would never have otherwise had the eyes to see.
May you find the light.
________________________________________________
For reflection:
Prayer:
God of light, we are lost in the darkness without your light. Teach us not to run from the darkness and death, but to journey into it because you are with us. Amen.
- Reflect on times of darkness, wandering, and uncertainty in your life. What was that like? Maybe take time to talk honestly about it with others.
- In what ways is God a comfort to you in times of “death”? Has it ever been difficult to know the comfort of God in such times? (This is also the Psalmist’s experience – read Psalm 13 or Psalm 88, which ends with the line “darkness is my closest friend”).
- For those with kids: Talk about times when it seems like life is dark and scary. Maybe ask why it seems like that during those times. You can share that life has dark times for everyone. Remind them that God is with us even in those scary times and places. You can ask what things they might experience about God that they couldn’t experience in good times.
Prayer:
God of light, we are lost in the darkness without your light. Teach us not to run from the darkness and death, but to journey into it because you are with us. Amen.
No Comments