Welcome to the InTouch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Tuesday, August 15.

There are times when believers feel alone, but the truth is we never are.

Let's envelop ourselves in the familiar words of Psalm 23,

to be reminded of how we can endure and thrive in life's valley experiences.

Oftentimes in the Bible, valleys are indications or symbols of times of difficulty, hardship, trial, suffering, and pain.

And I want us to look at this passage in the light of that title, and that is the believer's valley experiences.

And if you'll notice in this passage how he begins, he says,

the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And then what we have is this beautiful description of the shepherd leading the sheep into the matters on the hillside.

He says, he makes me to lie down in green pastures, leads me beside quiet waters, restores my soul, guides me in the paths of righteousness, and then notice verse 4, how he says it.

He says, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even though I do that, which is his way of saying it's not the norm.

God does not intend for us to live in the valleys, or that's our normal way of life.

But there will be those seasons in our life, those times in our life, those experiences that become valley experiences, times of difficulty, hardship, trial, pain, rejection, you name it, they're there.

And so what he's saying in this passage here, even though I walk through these, he says, I will fear no evil.

Why is that? Why do I not need to be afraid for this reason?

If you'll turn to John chapter 10, he said about the accurate.

John chapter 10 is the passage of Scripture that is the good shepherd discourse about Christ.

Listen to what he says in this 10th chapter, and this is why when he says, ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Why? Here's the reason, because the good shepherd who is walking with us said this.

Verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Verse 14, I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me.

In verse 27 as we quoted, my sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.

And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

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