Following the Shepherd Through Dark Valleys
Ah, the holidays—a time of joy for some, a time of dread for others. We love the Christmas cheer and Thanksgiving day parades, but for so many people, the holidays are just the worst.
Why?
For many, the answer is, “Family.”
We don’t get along! We fight, we cry, and we yell at each other when we should be yelling for our favorite football team. That, or we put on masks to hide what we really think from those we should be closest with.
What should be the happiest season of the year can feel like trudging through a deep, dark valley. Things like family secrets, unresolved anger, bitterness, jealousy, gossip, blame—all those things can steal the joy from the holiday season.
Jesus knows exactly what that feels like. After He began His earthly ministry, He went to His hometown to preach and do miracles. There was just one problem: nobody believed He could do it. The people who knew Him the best didn’t believe He could ever be anything more than a carpenter, let alone the Messiah.1
They got offended at Him, and because of that, they missed out on a great opportunity. But here’s the thing I want you to see:
Knowing they would reject Him, Jesus still went to visit His family. He walked right into the dark valley and offered light to hurtful and uncaring people.
Why?
Because of His love.
Romans 5:8 ESV - But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus called Himself the good shepherd, and the Bible says we are His sheep.2 Sheep are the shepherd’s responsibility. If a sheep wanders off, the shepherd has to go find it. If a sheep needs bathing, it’s up to the shepherd to make sure it gets clean.
Sheep are totally dependent on the shepherd. The only way a sheep can live a healthy life is by following the shepherd. If we are God’s sheep, and if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, then the only way we can have a good life is by following where He leads, no matter where He goes.
That’s easy when He’s leading us beside still waters and making us lie down in green pastures. But what about when He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death?
Psalm 23:1,4 ESV - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… 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."
I realize Psalm 23 says we don’t have to fear in the valley, but why would we go there in the first place? If Jesus is such a good shepherd, why would He lead us through the valley? Why not go around?
Because of His love.
Ezekiel 34:12 ESV - As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
A good shepherd rescues lost sheep, and that means going to where the lost sheep are. Thickets. Caves. Dangerous cliffs.
Even valleys named after the shadow of death.
Jesus is on a rescue mission. If we’re going to follow Jesus, we can’t stop at the edge of the valley. We’ve got to walk with Him into the valley to find the lost sheep.
So what does this mean in terms of everyday life? And what does this have to do with family and holiday gatherings?
When we follow Jesus, we don’t walk in darkness. We carry the light of the world with us.
John 8:12 ESV - Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV - You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
For a lot of people, attending holiday family gatherings can seem like walking through a dark valley. But here’s the good news:
When we carry the light of God into a dark valley, it might still be a valley, but it’s not dark anymore.
That means two things. First, it means we don’t have to fear the dark, because it can’t come near us as long as we carry the light. Second, it means those lost in darkness have an opportunity to leave the dark behind and come into the light.
There are people out there lost in the valley of the shadow of death, struggling under the curse of evil. They want to be free, but they can’t find their way out. They might be coworkers, strangers on the bus, or regulars at your coffee shop. They might even be your own family.
The light of Christ shining through us offers hope. When we carry that light into the valley, the valley is transformed.
Dark valleys don’t have to stay dark. If we simply keep our eyes on Jesus and let His light shine through us, everyone lost in the valley will finally be able to see. And if we keep our eyes on Him and follow where He leads, we can show them the way out.
As you go into the holidays, ask yourself who needs to see the light of Jesus shining within you. Make this holiday season a rescue mission.
May you have a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas!
Mark 6:1-6 ESV - He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
John 10:11 ESV - I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Psalm 100:3 ESV - Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.