Strength in the Shadows

Over the past six days, I’ve shared pieces of my story -- how dysthymia has shaped my walk with Christ, and how grace has met me in unexpected places. Today, I want to bring it all back around. Because if there’s one truth that has carried me through the shadows, it’s this:

You are in good company.

• Elijah sat under the broom tree, weary and done.
• David hid in the cave, overwhelmed and disoriented.
• Jeremiah sank into the pit, abandoned and stuck.
• Jesus wept in the garden, crushed with grief.
• And on the cross, as He bore the weight of the world, darkness fell across the land.

“At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.” - Matthew 27:45 (NLT)

Even the Son of God walked through the place of the deepest shadow, and yet, even there, He was not alone. And neither are you.

David, who knew caves and valleys well, wrote in Psalm 23:4 (NLT):

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.
Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.”

The valley of the shadow of death isn’t just a poetic metaphor -- it’s a lived reality for many of us. But David’s words remind us that shadows don’t mean abandonment. They mean proximity, because shadows only exist where light is present.

You are not alone in the shadows. You are walking a path that prophets, kings, and even the Savior Himself have walked. And you are walking it with Christ beside you.

So if today feels heavy… if the darkness feels near… remember:

• You are not broken for feeling this way.
• You are not faithless for struggling.
• You are not alone.
• You are in good company.

And you are held by a God who doesn’t demand your strength -- He offers His.

Reflection Questions

• What does it mean to you to be “in good company” in your struggle?
• How does Psalm 23 reshape your understanding of walking through dark seasons?

Prayer

God, thank You for walking with me through the shadows. Thank You for showing me that I’m not alone... that others have walked this path before me, and that Jesus Himself knows what it is to feel sorrow and darkness. Help me remember that Your presence is my comfort, even when I can’t feel it. I trust You to lead me through the valley. Amen.