His Leadership is Perfect

He leads me in paths of righteousness 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.

Psa 23:3-4

His leadership is perfect. Although that statement is true one should not take it to mean that I always like the way He leads. My recent venture through the valley of the shadow of death was not a very pleasant one. As I looked back over this past years’ journal entries I can see where it has taken quite some time, as far as I’m concerned, for me to pass through it.

Amazingly, now that I’ve stopped my bleating the Shepherd has had the opportunity to point something out to me that I had not seen before.  While reading Psalm 23 He spoke of how His leading me in “paths of righteousness” actually led me into and through the valley of the shadow of death.  I’m not afraid to admit that sometimes it takes me longer to put two and two together and that’s two that I had not placed together. My understanding of the “paths of righteousness” was that He would lead me in ways that would keep me from going in the wrong direction. Never did I connect the valley of the shadow of death as being one of the paths of righteousness. Now that I’m a little wiser I must say that I’m also very grateful and thankful for the Shepherd’s rod and staff that were instrumental in my survival through the valley.

The Rod for Protection, the Staff for Guidance

The valley of the shadow of death comprises many crooks, turns, cliffs, and even side roads that a sheep could find itself entangled, snared, or lost on. There are also predators lurking waiting for an opportunity to pounce upon a sheep that has become lame, weary, weak, or simply lags behind.  In my broken and weak state I found that His rod not only protected me from the predators of fear and death but broke the power of the lies that resulted from the onslaught of the enemy’s boisterous and tormenting howling. His rod also brought correction to my misguided thoughts.

Just as it is always darkest before the dawn there is a place while walking through the valley that is very dark; so dark that this sheep could no longer see the Shepherd. Following Him required the use of my ears only.  How often have I read “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27) yet it never dawned on me that I would have to walk through a season of hearing only. I prefer seeing and following NOT hearing and following.  I learned that if I am to know Him on a deeper and more intimate level that I can’t be led by my eyes only but by the hearing of the ear as well. I must be able to hear what the Spirit is saying.  This training came by way of the staff. During this darkness when my eyes could no longer see the Shepherd’s leading I had to learn to listen as he tapped along the way. I had to “hear” and “listen” for the sound. The sound wasn’t one of loud pounding and neither was it louder than the voices of the enemy. It was as the still small voice that is mentioned in the word. I have to admit that at one point I became very dismayed over the fact that the Shepherd refused to shout above the enemy’s blatant badgering’s but this too proved to be indicative of His perfect leadership.

The testings’ of this valley brought about great brokenness but as the Shepherd promised; I discovered some hidden treasures in darkness. (Isa 45:3)…. TRULY, HIS LEADERSHIP IS PERFECT!


Until He Returns,
Timbra