Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 1516; Luke 10:2542
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4
Hae Woo (not her real name) was imprisoned in a North Korean labor camp for crossing the border into China. The days and nights were torture, she said, with brutal guards, backbreaking work, and little sleep on an ice-cold floor with rats and lice. But God helped her daily, including showing her which prisoners to befriend and share her faith with.
After she was released from the camp and living in South Korea, Woo reflected on her time of imprisonment, saying that Psalm 23 summed up her experience. Although shed been trapped in a dark valley, Jesus was her Shepherd who gave her peace: Even though it felt as if I was literally in a valley full of the shadow of death, I wasnt afraid of anything. God comforted me every day. She experienced Gods goodness and love as He reassured her that she was His beloved daughter. I was in a terrible place, but I knew . . . I would experience Gods goodness and love. And she knew shed stay in the Lords presence forever.
We can find encouragement in Woos story. Despite her dire circumstances, she felt Gods love and leading; and He sustained her and took away her fear. If we follow Jesus, He will lead us gently through our times of trouble. We need not fear, for [we] will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (23:6).
When have you experienced Gods presence in a dark valley? Who can you encourage today?
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