John Derek Campbell

As a Christian, I have experienced my fair share of ups and downs, riding the wave of life with my fellow man just as the irreligious or those of other faiths. For we know that God doesn’t promise a life free of struggle. We know this to be the truth promised to believers and unbelievers alike per Matthew chapter 5, verse 45:

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

I have much to be thankful for, that is for certain. I have a beautiful daughter who brings incredible joy to my heart every day and a wife who is there to lift me up when I fall to the best of her ability. I have friends near and far (mostly the latter) and an elder family always willing to support.

But there comes a time when many, if not most, of us enter the valley as spoken of in Psalm 23. This is the time of struggle, trials, and choosing between surrender to the lead of God or foolishly trying to fight on one’s own:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

As I still explore the challenges I face–vulnerable and hidden from those around me–I find myself deep in the valley and uncertain that I have kept proximity to my omniscient, omnipotent guide. Is the rod and staff gone?

The truth is that of course it isn’t, but certainly the whisper of His voice seems to be lost in the noise. Is it He, is it me, or is it the enemy? My flesh and perhaps indeed my spirit can only withstand so many beatings and traumatic flashbacks of failure and consequence. A quiet resentment builds, but not so deep down, I realize how foolish such feelings are.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us,

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

As I reflect on the state of the world and the prosperous plans of those with agendas not in line with the benefit of the least among us, but instead aiming to exploit them no matter the cost, it can be incredibly difficult to remove the building agitation from being directed at our God of perfect justice above while keeping a righteous anger at the injustice in the world today.

I realize fully that my website is linked on my LinkedIn profile, yet I cannot escape (nor should I want to escape) the values that drive me as an individual. I seek the uplifting of the poor, the welcoming of the migrant, the fair and equitable treatment of others despite background, and the support of the physically or mentally ill or disabled.

Revisiting the Gospel according to Matthew once more in chapter 25, verse 40:

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

The King spoken of is Jesus Christ.

No one has ever been perfect (except for Jesus Himself). The walk of faith is a journey and that journey is filled with stumbles and storms. Psalm 37 verses 23 and 24 say,

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

I feel the way is starting to be hard to delight in.

I remain at the crossroads mentioned in a previous post. Perhaps I should have tried to turn to my left or to my right so long as it didn’t violate any biblical principles. The crossroads, however, feels to be in the valley. If I press forward, I feel too weak to bear the spiritual warfare. If I turn back, I feel it is equivalent to abandoning my walk in faith.

Therefore, I am resolved to sit and wait. I cannot do this on my own. I will wait for the Lord as I cannot otherwise move except to do the best in my daily life as I can.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4