Tag Archives: The Valley of the Shadow of Death

“Trembling brother, you would feel perfectly safe if you had your eyes opened to see the companies of angels that surround you. You would rejoice in your security if you saw horses of fire and chariots of fire encompassing you.

But such defenses are as nothing compared with those which are always around you. God is better than myriads of chariots. ‘The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels’; but the glory of it is that ‘the Lord is among them, as in Sinai.’ God is with every one of His children. We dwell in Him, and He dwells in us. ‘I in them, and they in me,’ says Christ.

A vital, everlasting union exists between every believing soul and God, and what cause can there be for fear? ‘Thou art with me.’ Oh for grace to be courageous pilgrims, and to make steady progress with heavenly company as our glory and defense.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 34.

“This pilgrim, in divesting himself of fear, is not at all fanatical or ignorant, since he gives good reason for his attitude. ‘I will fear no evil,’ says he, ‘for thou art with me.’ Was there ever a better reason given under Heaven for being fearless than this—that God is with us? He is on our side. He is pledged to help us. He has never failed us. Where, then, is there room for terror when the omniscient, immutable God is on our side?

Let the heavens be dissolved, and the earth be melted with fervent heat, but let not the Christian’s heart be moved: let him stand like the great mountains, whose foundations are confirmed for ever, for the Lord God will not forsake His people or break His covenant. ‘I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.’

There is something more here than freedom from fear and a substantial reason for it, for the true believer rejoices in exalted companionship. ‘Thou art with me.’ Thou—Thou—Thou—the King of kings, before Whom every seraph veils his face. ‘Thou art with me.’ How brave that person ought to be who walks with the Lion of the tribe of Judah as his guard!”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 34.

“It is beautiful to see a child at perfect peace amid dangers which alarm all those who are with him. I have read of a little boy who was on board a vessel buffeted by the storm, and everyone was afraid, knowing that the ship was in grave danger.

There was not a sailor on board, certainly not a passenger, who was not alarmed. This boy, however, was perfectly happy, and was rather amused than frightened by the tossing of the ship. They asked him why he was so happy at such a time. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘my father is the captain. He knows how to manage.’

He did not think it possible that the ship could go down while his father was in command. There was folly in such confidence, but there will be none in yours if you believe with an equally unqualified faith in your Father, Who can and will bring safely into port every vessel that is committed to His charge. Rest in God and be quiet from fear of evil.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 34.

“We suffer more in the dread of trial than in the endurance of the stroke. Here we have a man of faith who is calm in the expectation of trouble: ‘I shall walk,’ says he, ‘through the valley of the shadow of death. I expect to do so, but I will fear no evil.’

Have you, my friend, a trouble drawing near to you? Then look bravely at the future. Let not your heart fail you while waiting for the thunder and the hurricane. David said, ‘Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’

Encamped enemies generally trouble us more than actually contending foes. When once the enemy raises the war-cry, and comes on, we are aroused to valour, and meet him foot to foot, but while he tarries and holds us in suspense our heart is apt to eat into itself with perplexity.

Pray to be calm in the prospect of trial: it is half the battle. Is it not written of the believer, ‘He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord’?”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 33.

“When you trust God, and a friend, there is a question whether it is God you trust or the friend; but when the friend has left you, and only God is near, no question remains… If you can trust God when you are utterly lonely, then you really trust Him; you are a believer and there is no mistake about it. It is profitable to be driven into loneliness, that we may prove whether we are solely trusting God or not.

It is a bad thing to be standing with one foot on the sea and the other on the land. We must get both feet on the Rock of Ages, or the foot which stands upon the sea of changeful self will be our downfall. My soul, wait thou only upon God! Yea, though I walk through the dark valley, unattended by human companion, I will fear no evil, for my God is near.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 32.

“This valley, dark and gloomy as it is, is not an unhallowed pathway. No sin is necessarily connected with sorrow of heart, for Jesus Christ our Lord once said, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.’ There was no sin in Him, and consequently none in His deep depression.

We have never known a joy or a sorrow altogether untainted with evil; but grief itself is not necessarily sin. A man may be as happy as all the birds in the air, and there may be no sin in his happiness; and a man may be exceeding heavy, and yet there may be no sin in the heaviness. I do not say that there is not sin in all our feelings, but still the feelings in themselves need not be sinful.

I would, therefore, try to cheer any brother who is sad, for his sadness is not necessarily blameworthy. If his downcast spirit arises from unbelief, let him cry to God to be delivered from it; but if the soul is sighing, ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,’ it is not a fault.

If the man cries, ‘My God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee,’ his soul’s being cast down within him is no sin. Heaviness of spirit is not, therefore, on every occasion a matter for which we need condemn ourselves.

The way of sorrow is not the way of sin, but a hallowed road sanctified by the prayers of myriads of pilgrims now with God—pilgrims who, passing through the valley of Baca, made it a well.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 33.

“You that are beginners, I do not wish to frighten you; but on the way to Heaven there are ‘Cut-throat Lanes’ where, when the enemy finds your spirits down, he pounces with temptation, and before you know it you may be wounded. There are spots in the valley where every bush conceals an adversary, and temptations spring out of the ground like fiery serpents, and where the soul is among lions.

If you have not yet come to that part of your pilgrimage I am glad of it, and I hope that you may be spared it in answer to the prayer—’Lead us not into temptation.’ But if you are called to walk through this dangerous ravine what will you do? Say this to yourself—’Yea, though I walk through that dangerous pass of which I have heard, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.’

You who are placed in positions of great trial and temptation need not wish for an easier pathway, for it may be that you are safer now, being on your guard, than those who are not fiercely tried, and are in peril from sloth and spiritual indifference. The cold mountains of trial can be safer than the sultry plains of pleasure.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, p. 31.

“It is surely true that a great number of God’s best servants have trodden the deeps of the valley of the shadow; and this ought to comfort some of you. The footsteps of the holy are in the valley of weeping. As surely as this Word of God is true, your Lord has felt the chill of the death-shade. He says, ‘Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness.’ The footprint of the Lord of life is set in the rock forever, even in the valley of the shadow of death!”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2000, pp. 32-3.