YOU are WITH me

Psalm 23 

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This is one of my absolute favorite psalms. IT has so many wonderful blessings, and portraits a life cycles in many ways. From the times where we seem to have no problems, and everything is just wonderful. No storms in our lives, only still waters. Walking in the path of righteousness and having a feeling of wanting nothing. Then, suddenly we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death. We find that we are in the presence of the enemy. We find that the still waters have turned into a storm. Everyone that have lived long enough have experiences it.

What I find interesting here is the shift in the psalmist approach to God. The way he addresses God. When God is in front leading him, he says HE. HE makes me lie down in green pastures. HE leads me besides the still waters. HE leads me in the path of righteousness. But suddenly, when he is in the valley of the shadow of death, he say YOU! YOU are with me. Maybe it’s the fact that God is now closer. Before he was leading him. And later in life he is following him, when he says surely goodness and mercy shall FOLLOW me. But here, when he faces difficulties, God is not leading in front, of following from behind. He is WITH me. Right here when I need him.

Many people have a tendency to have a “distance relationship” to God when things are going fine. God is only a HE. But God wants to get closer to us. When the enemy feels close, turn around and look. He is preparing a table for you, right there in the PRESENCE of your enemies. He is wayting for you to say: YOU are with me. YOU are for me. YOU love and protect me. He is not just GOD, but he is MY God.