Psalm 23:4
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.
1. What did you think about the fact that the, “valley of the shadow of death” is a real place?
2. The metaphor of the “valley” is very real. We talked about some of the other valleys mentioned in scripture: Joshua talks about the Valley of Calamity, Psalm 84 talks about the Valley of Weeping, Hosea talks about the Valley of Trouble. The most accurate translation for the, “valley of the shadow of death” is the “valley of deep darkness”. What valleys have you experienced in your life?
3. Doug shared 5 things about valleys. Valleys are INEVITABLE, UNPREDICTABLE, IMPARTIAL, TEMPORARY and PURPOSEFUL. Which of these 5 truths stood out most to you and why?
4. Doug also shared 3 things to do when you are going through a “valley time” in your life. They were; REFUSE to be DISCOURAGED, REMEMBER that God is WITH me, and finally, rely on God’s PROTECTION & GUIDANCE. Which of these 3 is the most important for you to remind yourself of? Why?
5. We also talked about how we can always learn about God during life’s valley times. What are some things you have personally learned about God during these times in your life?
6. Often times the hardest part of the “valley experiences” in our lives comes from feeling alone and isolated.
-Read Psalm 139:7-12 and discuss how these verses relate to these times in our lives.
-Why do you think that those that have “walked through the valley” are usually the best at helping others go through the tough times in life?
-Do you typically look for help during the “valley experiences” in your life? Why do you think this is the case?
-Are you willing to walk with someone else through the “valley times”? How can we do a better job of doing this?
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2 comments:
Mr. Oster,
Let me first say thank you for all the work that you put forth with your blog. While this is the first time that I have responded to any questions let me encourage you to keep up the good work!
I don't want to discount all the questions that you have posted, but the one I will respond to is where you asked why people who have walked through the valley may be a little better at walking with others who might be in a valley time.
I would think that people who have walked thru these times would probably be more empathetic to a person who is in a time such as this and would be moved with compassion and patience to walk beside such an individual.
thanks for the feedback...
Have a great week!
charles
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