“Yea, 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.”
Psalms 23:4 NKJV
Aroma Bible Notes- my initial, brief thoughts about the #votd
Yea-
From the Hebrew word “gam” often rendered “Also”. In the previous verses of Psalm 23, David wrote of God leading him in the pleasant, fertile places. He then remembers the other places the Lord has been with him. Not the sunny, grassy riverside but a darker place on our journey.
though I walk –
We are always walking somewhere, on a continual journey, with God, toward the destiny he has for us
Through-
We are walking through, we won’t stay there, as my pastor reminds us
The valley-
Dark, deep, foreboding, feels far from God and his heavens, his hills of help, his meeting mountain tops, the warmth and light of his love and guidance.
of the shadow of death-
That shadow of our biggest enemy, death, seems to loom over us in the valley. Jesus is life but he seems overshadowed when we are walking in the valley and fail to look up.
This is the situation as we feel it, experience it. So now what? A radical decision. A choice is made.
I will fear no evil-
There is evil in the valley- temptation, despair, hopelessness.
On what basis is the choice made-
My strength, my abilities, my knowledge? No. Only because of the One who will never leave you or forsake you.
For You are with me
Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is not only with you but is actively caring for you. There is a cost to being a Good Shepherd. Jesus paid the cost with his life as he said he would.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The prophet Micah prays for his people like this-
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. (Micah 7:14)
Being in the grasp of the heavenly rod and staff is the best place. No man can snatch us out of the hand of God. (John 10:28)
Bible hub commentaries
Cyril: “Christ feedeth His own with a rod, guiding them gently, and repressing by gentle fears the tendency of believers to listlessness. He bruiseth as with a rod of Iron, not them, but the rebellious disobedient and proud, who receive not the faith; believers He instructs and forms tenderly, feeds them among the lilies Sol 6:3, and leads them into good pastures and rich places, namely the divinely-inspired Scriptures, making the hidden things thereof clear through the Spirit to those of understanding
Background
Anna was a devoted servant of God. Widowed early in life, Anna dedicated herself to fasting and praying in the temple. When Jesus was bought into the temple, her life of piety was interrupted. No longer were her religious actions on hope of the long-awaited Messiah. The Messiah was there, in the flesh, in the temple with her! Her hope was rewarded. God was praised. The presence of the Messiah was met with her gratitude to God. Like other true believers, she could not be silent about her Savior. The Good news had to be shared!
Throughout the Bible, women had a role in proclaiming the truth of God. God chose in the biblical narrative, to mention women as well as men who went in boldness to tell others about God and speak his word to others. These women are sometimes called “prophetesses”, a female version of a prophet.
Context
Why is Luke including Anna here in his Gospel? Because his major theme is that God sent Jesus to earth that ALL might be saved.(Luke 2:10) In a culture that generally did not hold women in high regard, Luke wanted to show that God is different. He wants to be sure that the reader understands that women as well as men will be part of the Kingdom of God. In fact, Luke’s Gospel tells us more about women than any others. Later in the book of Acts, also written by Luke, we learn of other women who prophesy. (Acts 2:19)
Gospel Implications
Anna was a mighty woman of God. She was a watchful woman and used the spiritual disciplines of fasting and praying to keep her mind and heart focused on God. As a long-term widow, Anna could have wallowed in self-pity. But she did not. Instead, she devoted herself to pleasing God and waiting for him to fulfill his promises. Anna was a woman of faith and God rewarded her with the greatest gift of all.
Luke wants us to know that in the birth of Jesus, God is fulfilling his covenant promises of the Old Testament. This fills Anna with gratitude and joy so much that she must share the Good News with others.
Application
In the midst of all your activities this Christmas season, find time to tell others about Jesus.
Key Verse
And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:38
Prayer
Lord, Help me to spread the Good News about Jesus this Christmas season. Amen.
Jesus is Born in Bethlehem
“So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” Luke 2:6–10, NKJV
An Arrival with Startling Humility
A back room with the animals. A rough feeding trough fit for animals. Simple cloths to protect a new life. This is how the Savior of all, the King of Kings, made his grand entrance into the world.
Another Prophecy Fulfilled
In the earlier part of Luke’s narrative, we learn that Mary, mother-to-be of Jesus, lives in Nazareth, about 100 miles north of Bethlehem, prophesied to be the birthplace of the Messiah. How will this happen? God’s got this. He uses the secular rulers to bring his prophesy to pass. The Roman ruler, Caesar Augustus, declared that all the world under his jurisdiction should be registered.
Victory in Jesus
Jesus came into the world to conquer sin and death that we too would find victory over that which keeps us from God. Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. We recognize that our primary adversary is Satan. He stands against us as an accuser and opposes everything that Jesus stands for. Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy but Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.