Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God powerful enough to control life and death. David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This was the phrase that perhaps most made me want to think about David’s life. When David said “the valley of the shadow of death,” I am convinced he is referring to very real threats of death. This was not merely an abstract possibility or irrational obsession for David; his life was filled with those kinds of threats. The power of this phrase is in the five words, “I will fear no evil.” That was David’s attitude toward his near-death experiences. No fear. The reason for that is found in the next phrase, “for thou art with me,” which is big enough on its own that I chose to study it separately, but it is the key behind the lack of fear.
There is no shortage of passages that refer to David’s life-threatening situations. A young David faced both lion and bear attacks (I Sam. 17:34-35). He faced Goliath in battle (I Sam 17:36-37,45). Twice Saul tried to throw a spear through him (I Sam. 18:11; 19:10). Saul charged all his servants with putting David to death (I Sam. 19:2). David repeatedly fought the Philistines and others in battle (I Sam. 19:8, for example). David escaped through a window when Saul would have killed him in the morning (I Sam. 19:12). Saul sent messengers to take David (I Sam. 19:20). Jonathan confirmed imminent danger after Saul’s angry threat (I Sam. 20:38). David feigned insanity to escape Gath (I Sam. 21:13-15). David hid in a cave because Saul sought his life (I Sam. 22:1,23). The citizens of Keilah were ready to betray him to Saul (I Sam. 23:13-14). David was surrounded by Saul’s army (I Sam. 23:27-28). Saul’s army had David trapped inside a cave (I Sam. 24:21). One of Goliath’s descendants had a hit planned on David (II Sam. 21:17). This is not even a complete list; David’s history was saturated with threats, battles, and revolts.
David’s consistent attitude toward these constant threats was that he did not fear. This is evident in the stories above, particularly in his comments before facing Goliath. Another great example is in I Sam. 26:6-21, when David took a companion and walked right into the heart of Saul’s camp. The Psalms express David’s determination not to fear. “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about” (Ps. 3:6). “In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” (Ps. 11:1). “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should arise against me, in this will I be confident” (Ps. 27:1-3).
I started to wonder if David was so trusting in God that he never even experienced fear, but I did finally find verses that spoke of his fear. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4). “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (Ps. 56:3-4, also 11). It wasn’t that David never feared, but when he did, he turned to the God who was bigger than his enemies. David regularly prayed for God’s help when he faced threats of death. “O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me” (Ps. 7:1). “Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death” (Ps. 9:13). Isn’t that a great statement?! He knew God was the one who controlled death. “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears” (Ps. 18:4-6). “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy” (Ps. 64:1).
As often as David prayed for God’s protection, he was able to give testimony that God did save him from death. Over and over again. “For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. … He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man” (Ps. 18:39-40,48). “Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvelous kindness in a strong city” (Ps. 31:21). “O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit” (Ps. 30:3). David was well aware of Who kept him alive.
With his faith in God, David had great confidence instead of fear. “Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly” (Ps. 6:10). “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him” (Ps. 12:5). “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause” (Ps. 25:2-3). “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me” (Ps. 138:7). “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (I Samuel 17:37).
The key to David’s confidence was his trust in God. “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee” (Ps. 9:9-10). “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust” (Ps. 16:1). “But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me” (Ps. 31:14-15). “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (Ps. 57:1). I love this final verse that sums up David’s philosophy of death: “He that is our God is the God of salvation [deliverance]; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues [escapes] from death” (Ps. 68:20). No wonder he didn’t fear! He believed that God controlled death and was the master at thwarting it!
There is power behind David’s words. Who else could say them and have them mean so much? David did not issue a glib or naïve one-time statement about his lack of fear in facing death. No, his was a tried-and-true testimony, a statement of faith forged through repeated fires of adversity. He had no fear because God was with him. David knew that if his ever-present God wanted to defy the threat of death, He was well able to do so, and if God chose to allow death, that decision was in God’s hands alone.
Our own application tends to be more general toward difficult times in general, because we don’t face the constant threats of death like David did, and certainly that is appropriate. If God can handle near-death experiences, He can certainly handle everything else. David himself sets the valley of the shadow of death as the extreme parameter – even there. It’s not that the evil (bad, hurtful, harmful) doesn’t exist. It might even happen, but we don’t need to fear it, because God is with us. Whatever the outcome is, it will not overtake us without God’s oversight and control, or without His grace and comfort to help us through it. And often He will quench the threat and defeat the enemy, as He did for David. Either way, He is with us, and that means everything! May God’s presence protect you from whatever threats and troubles you are facing, and may He keep your soul trusting confidently in Him.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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