Valleys: Part 5

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Valleys - Part 5

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

This is Part 5 of our messages on valleys. In Part 1 we shared about the Lily of the valley, who is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. Jesus is Lord of both the valleys and the mountains. In Part 2 we shared some thoughts about the valley of decision and the valley of Achor or the valley of trouble. Then in Part 3 we looked at the valley of Vision and in Part 4 we shared some thoughts about the Valley of Baca or the valley of weeping. Although there are several other valleys that we could look at, we will conclude our series on valleys with some thoughts about the valley of the shadow of death. We will start by considering shadows in general, followed by some verses about death and resurrection life. Then we will share some thoughts from Psalm 23, verse 4, about the shadow of death, followed by how we can become overcomers and walk in the kingdom of God. The end result is that the shadow of death will never have any effect over overcomers.

As an introduction let us consider shadows in general. A shadow has no substance. It appears to be something which it is not. It is interesting that if we walk toward the sun, we never see our shadow, which is cast behind us. In the spiritual realm if we Christian believers are walking in the light that we have received, then we are walking in the Spirit toward the fulness of the Son, Jesus Christ, and we are never concerned about any shadow. In Ezekiel, chapter 1, whenever the four living creatures turned, they always were still facing the Lord. They never turned their backs away from the Lord.

We should also note that without light there can never be a shadow. Jesus is our Light. When He shines on someone, they have an opportunity to receive Jesus into their heart. Then He, not us, overcomes the separation between God and man.

A few scriptures about shadows are the following.

1 Chronicles 29:14-15, "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding."

Psalm 91:1-2, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."

Colossians 2:16-17, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

Hebrews 10:1, "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect."

James 1:17. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." 

Next, let us consider what the word of God says about death and resurrection life.

Hebrews 2:14-15, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

The devil still has the power of death over those who have not been born again. But the devil can kill only the physical body. He does that through his lies and his deception. He is a murderer. But if we Christians are walking in the light that we have received and submit our self to God, the devil has no power over us (James 4:7).

Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death. John 8:51

Romans 6:3-11. 

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him:

9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him.

10 For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1 Corinthians 15:21-55. 

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.

24 Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith, all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

2 Timothy 1:10 says that Jesus has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Death has a shadow, but no substance or reality for a believer because a believer has eternal life, the life of Christ. The phrase "shadow of death" occurs 20 times in Scripture, 10 of them in the Book of Job. 

Isaiah 9:2, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." 

One of the most familiar verses is Psalm 23:4, 

"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."

Perhaps the first thing we should note about Psalm 23:4 is the use of the personal pronouns I and me, and Thou and Thy, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a religion but a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Until the Lord returns, each one of us must walk through the valley of the shadow of death. During the feeding and care of a flock of sheep, they are entirely alone with the shepherd. They are in intimate contact with him and under his personal attention day and night. All of this is done against a dramatic background of wild mountains, rushing rivers, awesome storms, rock slides, poisonous plants, and the threat of both wild beasts and wild men. David knew from firsthand experience about all of the difficulties and dangers, as well as the delights, of the journeys into high country. Our Great Shepherd is fully prepared to safeguard His flock and tend them with perfect skill under every circumstance. Nothing takes our Great Shepherd by surprise. We believers in Christ only gain higher ground by climbing up through the valleys.

Note the wording "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." It does not say I die there or stop there, but rather "I walk through." Physical death is not an end but merely the door into a higher and more exalted life of intimate contact with Christ. It is not something to fear but an experience through which we pass on our journey to the perfect life. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always" - even in the valley of the shadow of death. What a comfort that should be to us all. To come to this conviction in our Christian life is to have entered into an attitude of quiet acceptance of every adversity, every distress, every discouragement that we will ever face. That results in us moving onto higher ground with God. Like everything related to a walk with the Lord, it is not until we have walked with Him through some very deep troubles that we discover He can lead us to find our victory in Christ in the midst of our difficulty. It is when we can look back over life and see how the Great Shepherd's hand has guided and sustained us in the darkest hours that our faith is renewed. Further, only those who have been through dark valleys can comfort or encourage others in similar situations. The one who can best minister to a broken heart is one who has known a broken heart. We must minister out from our experience, not from our intellect. Most of us do not want valleys in our lives, but God uses them for our benefit and the benefit of others.

The basic question is not whether we have many or few valleys. It is not whether those valleys are dark or merely dim with shadows. The question is, how do I react to them? With Christ and His promises, we can face every valley calmly and without fear, knowing that He has us in the palm of His hand.

Granted, it is very difficult for any professing Christian to arrive at that place in his life. Actually, it is impossible except by the power of the Holy Ghost working within us. But if any man will continue to walk with the Lord, the day will come when he will be able to say, in truth, that which Paul said in Philippians 1:21-24,

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."

Now let us consider the last phrase in Psalm 23:4 ... "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." In those early days in the Middle East the primitive shepherd carried only a rod and a staff. The rod had a large knob at one end and was used for throwing at animals in hunting or for clubbing an enemy's head. The shepherd boy would spend hours practicing with this club, learning how to throw it with amazing speed and accuracy. It became his main weapon of defense for both himself and his sheep. The rod is a symbol of his strength, his power, his authority in any serious situation. When God called Moses, the desert shepherd, and sent him to deliver Israel out of the bondage in Egypt, his rod was always used to demonstrate the power vested in him. It was always through the rod of Moses that miracles were made manifest, not only to convince Pharaoh of Moses' divine commission, but also to reassure the people of Israel. The rod, therefore, speaks of the spoken Word, the expressed intent of God's mind and will in dealing with men. It carries with it the power and impact of "Thus saith the Lord." The Scriptures are God's Word. This in itself brings into our lives a great sense of peace and comfort.

The rod was also the instrument used to discipline and correct any wayward sheep that insisted on wandering away. If the shepherd saw a sheep wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or getting too close to danger of any kind, the shepherd would throw his club through the air to send the wayward animal back to the flock. The Spirit of the Living God, using the living Word, convicts our conscience of right conduct. David, in Psalm 139:23-24 said, 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." 

If we will allow it, if we will submit to it, God will search us by His Word. The Great Shepherd of our souls has our own best interests at heart when He searches us. Wool in Scripture speaks of our self-life, self-will, self-pride. God has to do a deep work in our wills to right the wrongs that often bother us. It was the rod of God's word that Jesus used in His own encounter with Satan during His temptation in the wilderness. There is no substitute for the Scriptures in coping with the complexities of our social life.

Now let us consider the shepherd's staff. Whereas the rod conveys the concept of authority, of power, of discipline, of defense against danger, the staff speaks of all that is longsuffering and kind. The staff is a symbol of the concern, comfort, and compassion that a shepherd has for his sheep. Just as the rod of God speaks of the Word of God, the staff of God is symbolic of the Spirit of God. There are three areas of sheep management in which the staff plays a significant role. The first of these is the drawing of sheep together into an intimate relationship. The shepherd will use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become separated. The staff is also used by the shepherd to reach out and catch individual sheep and draw them close to himself. Similarly, the Holy Spirit, the "Comforter," draws us together into a warm, personal fellowship with one another and also draws us to Christ. The staff is also used for guiding sheep. In our walk with the Lord, Jesus said that His Spirit would be sent to guide us and to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). This same gracious Spirit makes it plain to our hearts and minds and spiritual understanding the truth of the Word of God. He gently but persistently says to us, "This is the way ... walk ye in it." The Spirit comes quietly to make the life of Christ, our Shepherd, real, personal, and intimate to us. The Christian life is not just one of subscribing to certain doctrines or believing certain facts. Essential as that may be, there is a reality of experiencing and knowing firsthand the sense of His Spirit upon our spirit. We should always ask, "Lord, what would you have me to do in this case?" If our heart toward Him is right, He will tell us precisely what to do. Many of our own jams and impasses are of our own making. But then our Great Shepherd comes to us, draws us near to Himself, and lifts us by His Spirit out of the difficulty and dilemma. What patience, longsuffering, compassion, and forgiveness God has with us! His staff comforts us.

Finally, how do we become overcomers so that the valley of the shadow of death no longer affects us? Scripture has the answer, stated in several different ways. For example, 

Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

Let us also see the answer from Song of Solomon 2:16-17, 

"My beloved is mine, and I am His: He feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." 

Verse 16: "My beloved is mine, and I am His." That speaks of a committed, intimate relationship between the Lord Jesus and a born-from-above Christian. "He feedeth among the lilies." Although Jesus is the Lily of the valley, all those Christians who abide in Christ are the lilies spoken of in Song of Solomon 2:16.

We cannot deeply love Someone whom we don't know, therefore, we must determine to know Him in order to love Him with our entire self. We should seek to know not only His character and His nature, but hopefully even His intimate hidden heart. That is why Paul said, in Philippians 3:10, "that I may know Him." He actively responds to our search to go deeper, even if His response at times seems delayed. 

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7

It is the unspeakable privilege of true believers that Christ is ours. My beloved is mine. Believers are partakers of Christ; they have not only an interest in Him, but enjoy sweet communion with Him. All the benefits of His glorious undertaking, as Mediator, are made over to them. He is that to us which the world neither is nor can be, all that which we need and desire, and which will make a complete happiness for us. All He is is ours, and all He has, all He has done, and all He is doing, all He has promised in the gospel, all He has prepared in heaven, all is ours in Christ.

Corinthians 3:21-23, "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."



Corinthians 8:5, "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

It is the character of all true believers that they are Christ's, and then, and only then, He is ours. They have given their own selves to Him; they receive His doctrine and obey His laws; they bear His image and embrace His will and purposes; they belong to Christ. If we are His wholly, His only, His forever, we may take the comfort of His being ours.

Back to Song of Solomon, verse 16, "He feedeth among the lilies." The bride rejoices in the assurance of His presence with all believers in general, who are lilies in His eyes. He feeds among them, that is, He takes pleasure in them and their assemblies, for He walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks; He delights to talk with them and to do them good. The church's hope and expectation of Christ's coming, and her prayer is grounded therein. She knows that the day will break and the shadows will flee away. The gospel-day will dawn, and the shadows of the ceremonial law will flee away. This was the comfort of the Old-Testament church, that, after the long night of that dark dispensation, the day-spring from on high would at length visit them, to give light to those that sit in darkness. When the sun rises the shades of the night vanish, so do the shadows of the day when the substance comes. This phrase also refers to the second coming of Christ and the eternal happiness of the saints; the shadows of our present state will flee away, our darkness and doubts, our griefs and all our grievances, and a glorious day shall dawn, a morning when the upright shall have dominion, a day that shall have no night after it. In the meantime, she pleads for the presence of her beloved, to support and comfort her.

Come and visit me, come and relieve me, be with me always to the end of the age. make haste to help me. Come over all the mountains of division. She pleads that He would not only turn to her for the present, but hasten His coming to fetch her to Himself. Though there be mountains in the way, He can, like a roe, or a young hart, step over them with ease.

Back to verse 17 of Song of Solomon, chapter 2. "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away" ... This phrase has no natural-level meaning. This speaks of the day of the Lord in two different ways. First, when Christ becomes the all-in-all in our life, then shadows no longer concern us. Then, when the Lord returns to the earth, all shadows flee away.

"Be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." 

Song of Solomon 2:9, "My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, He looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice."

"Bether," which occurs only once in the Bible, in Song of Solomon 2:17, means to divide or separate. The mountains of Bether do not exist in the natural realm. When most Christians hear the word division or separation, what probably comes to mind is something "bad." There is such a bad thing when men deliberately create schism and division in the church. However, many divisions are not only necessary but are generated by God Himself, starting with day 1 of creation. Have you considered the numerous references to God separating in the work of creation and what that means in principle for the Christian life?

We might recall, from Genesis 1:1 that darkness was upon the face of the earth. Then, in 

Genesis 1:3-4, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." 

God spoke light into the world on the first day. It was not until the fourth day that God created the sun, moon, and stars. So what is this light that was spoken into the world on the first day?

John 1:1-5. 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The light is both the life of Jesus and the written word of God. Unfortunately, men want to mix their traditions into the word of God. 

Mark 7:7-9, 13. 

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

2 Corinthians 4:6, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

2 Corinthians 6:14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

2 Corinthians 6:17, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,"

Light cannot mingle with darkness, which is anything that does not agree with the nature of God. God is always dividing light from darkness. For us Christians that is called sanctification.

In John, chapter 9, we read about the time when Jesus opened the eyes of a man who was born blind. The Pharisees questioned the former blind man several times because they refused to believe that Jesus had opened his eyes.

John 9:25, "He answered and said, Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."

John 9:34-38.

34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

What a blessed privilege the former blind man received when the Pharisees cast him out of their religious system! 

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is He that talketh with thee.

38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

So the man not only received his natural eyesight but also spiritual sight.

1 Thessalonians 5:5, "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."

In verses 6 and 7 of Genesis, chapter 1, God divided the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament. In verse 9 and 10 God divided the waters under the heaven from the dry land, which He called Earth. In verses 14 through 18 God divided the (natural) light from the darkness when He spoke the sun, moon, and stars into being. In verses 24 through 27 God made a distinction between all animals and man. These verses are proof that evolution is nonsense because the animals and man were made on the same day. The Lord is still dividing and separating men from men and separating within His chosen people the darkness of human traditions and worldliness from the light of God's revealed word in Christ.

The first separation or division occurs when we are born from above. 1 Peter 4:3-4, 

"For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." 

When we come to Christ, our old friends think it strange because we don't behave like we formerly did. We no longer want to drink or smoke or tell dirty jokes. Many long years ago, I would sometimes play pinochle with a group of guys on our lunch break. Then one day when I walked into our game room, one of the regular pinochle players said of me, "Here comes the preacher." I had never said anything about the Lord or church or religion, but evidently the old gang saw that my behavior had drastically changed. The Spirit of Christ can never have fellowship with the spirit of the world. The world rejects you when you come to Christ.

The next phase of separation or division for those born from above occurs in our own home. Jesus said, in Matthew 10:34-39, 

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

This separation comes about because some other family members are not yet born again. This division usually causes a lot of pain and suffering. Part of my wife, Linda's, suffering after she came to know the Lord was because she was the only one in her immediate family who became born again. Of course, she travailed in prayer for them, particularly for her father because of his age. She asked the Lord to show her when she could tell her father about Jesus. When that time seemed to be right, she asked her father, "Dad, may I please tell you about God's beautiful plan of salvation?" Then her father became irate and he said, "Don't ever mention the name of Jesus in my presence anymore." Although that may be a typical response, that is not the final word.

When Linda's father was 96, she received a phone call from one of her brothers that their father was in the hospital 300 miles from us and had only a few minutes to live. Linda was distraught. She called me at work and we prayed over the phone. Linda asked the Lord to preach salvation to her father on his death bed. Then she opened her Bible at random and it opened to Exodus 33, verse 17, which says, "And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name." We both knew that was a personal word to Linda and that the Lord had indeed preached salvation to her father right before he died. What an amazing God we serve! He is faithful!

A third phase of separation or division occurs even in the local church. The Word of God, preached by the anointing of the Holy Spirit always causes division. 

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Why do splits in local churches happen? I personally believe that every local church, sooner or later, will experience a split in the membership. From my limited experience, I have seen at least 5 local churches which have split asunder, usually after ten or more years. First of all, whenever a true word is preached, there will always be a division among the brethren in how it is received. The parable of the Sower, as recorded in Matthew 13, speaks about 4 different sets of believers who hear the same word, but it produces 4 different responses.

Matthew 13:18-23. 

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it."

Perhaps the hymn that both my wife and I like the best is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." Some of the words are; 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father. 

There is no shadow of turning with Thee. 

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. 

As Thou hast been, Thou for ever will be. 

Morning by morning new mercies I see. 

All I have needed thy hand hath provided. 

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. 

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. 

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide. 

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. 

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. 

Amen.