Love Me Passionately ...Love Me Tenderly ...
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Yea, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. (Psalm 23:4 NKJV.)
The valley of the shadow of death is an expression for the blackest darkness. It gives the idea of a place where there is no light shining, where darkness seems to rule and apparently has dominion. It is a place where there is no order, and where it seems that the light is like darkness. (Job 10:21-22.) An object coming between the light and the sun casts a long, gloomy and dark shadow. It speaks not only of death itself, but also of a path of gloom or sadness, scenes of trouble and trials, places of solitude and sorrow. It describes a place of discouragement, defeat, depression and despondency, where apparently no light is shining and there seems to be no hope for the future. Death stands between life and us. It casts its shadow over us so that we cannot see the light, nor expect to receive life.
Lord, sometimes You ask me to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But I thank You Lord that in this valley You are with me and You will never leave nor forsake me. I thank You Lord that as I seek You I will find Your comfort. I thank You Lord that I need fear no evil.
Lord, I thank You that you will walk with me through the valley of the shadow of death. I thank You Lord that I am not walking in the valley but "through" it. You will bring me through it, and out of it, into the glorious sunshine of life on the other side. I thank You Lord that the place that You will bring me into is a bountiful place where there is much fruit to eat and good things to experience. (Jeremiah 2:6-7.)
Lord, there are times when I go through the darkest and gloomiest of situations, when there seems to be no light. Yet, Lord, I thank You that this is still the right path for me. I thank You Lord that in these situations, as I trust You, I will know Your presence; I will know Your help; I will know Your comfort.
Lord, there are those difficult times when I do not know what is happening. Lord, there are those hard times when I get hurt and upset. Lord, there are those times when I get down and don't know what to do. But I do thank You Lord, that You are at my side, that You always love me, and even though I do not understand what is happening, I can always trust You. I can always keep my eyes fixed upon You - for from You will come my help. (2 Chronicles 20:12; Psalm 121:1-2.)
Lord, there are some times when I am almost overwhelmed by despair and despondency. There are times when I am weak and I feel that I am at the end of my tether. But I thank You Lord that You will help me, You will never let me go, You will lift me up and You will strengthen me. (John 10:28-29; Psalm 30:1; 145:14; Isaiah 40:29-31.)
I thank You Lord that in all times and situations, in trouble and hardships, in difficulty or dangers, nothing can separate me from Your love. I thank You Lord that although I will have troubles, You will not allow anything to come upon me to overwhelm me. But in every situation, You will give me strength to get through the problem with victory. You will make me more than a conqueror. (1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:35-39.)
Lord I thank You for the wonderful position I am in, even if I am in the valley of the shadow of death, for there will never be a moment when You are not at my side. There will never be a second when You will not be my guide. You are always ahead of me leading the way. Lord, Your goodness and mercy will always be following me. There will never be a day when You are not behind me. Lord, You are always with me; You are continually at my side. What a wonderful God You are. Always leading me - always following me - always with me at my side! (Psalm 23:3-6.)
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About the Book
I have always enjoyed preparing and presenting Bible Studies and the congregation has always received them with enthusiasm.Some people joined the church because of them. Some taped them and sent them to their friends in other countries.Recently, one person quoted from some studies I did well over 20 years ago.
However, one short series I did was most enthusiastically received.
It comprised a series of quotes from the Bible developing the theme of reasons why we should praise God. In turn, each person read a quote aloud. The presence of God increased as the study progressed. There were more positive comments about those studies than any other I have done.
Every time I repeated these studies, the results were the same. What I did not realize then was that God was showing me a new way of presenting a Bible Study.
Developing this style, I presented some Bible studies to some friends who really enjoyed them and were greatly blessed.
So, I decided to put these studies into a book which is written in a style that will involve the reader. The studies were prayerfully prepared to help people receive the Word of God into their lives and develop a greater intimate relationship with the Lord.
About the Author
Paul has a degree in mathematics from Hull University, England and has studied theology at the Elim Pentecostal College in England. He has been a pastor of Elim Churches in Northern Ireland, Eire and England. He enjoys meeting people and teaching them the Word of God.
He decided to leave pastoring so that he could concentrate on studying the Word of God. These studies were so well received that he decided to put them into a book so that others would benefit from them.
He is in fellowship with St. John's Church of England at Newhall, South Derbyshire and has served on the Parochial Church Council (PCC).