Nobody plans to suffer. But all of us do.
When you ask a room of people what they expect for the next ten years — new jobs, relationships, graduations — nobody says "the darkest valley." Nobody writes that on the list.
But Psalm 23 says the shepherd guides us along right paths. And those right paths include the darkest valleys. The valley isn't a detour from the plan. It's part of it.
Peter learned this the hard way. In Matthew 16, Jesus tells his disciples he's going to Jerusalem — to suffer, to be killed. Peter pulls him aside and rebukes him. He had a picture of how the Messiah's victory was supposed to look: conquer Rome, bring freedom, walk in like he owns the place. Jesus says: you've got it all wrong. The road to victory runs through the cross. And if you want to follow me, yours does too.
There are two kinds of valleys. The ones you walk into — sin, a bad decision, consequences you brought on yourself. And the ones that are put on you — grief, depression, spiritual dryness, the season where God just feels distant. Most of us have been in both. Jesus says both are necessary.
What God does in the valley:
- Humility — forces you to ask questions you wouldn't ask from the mountaintop: God, why? Where are you? What are you doing?
- Dependence — brings you to the end of your rope: God, all I have is you.
- Formation — shapes things in you that can't be shaped anywhere else.
The deep work happens at the end of your rope, not at the top of it.
How to survive it: - Trust what is true. When your emotions are loud, rehearse what you know. The Psalms are good for this — real human emotion alongside God's character and promises. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths. He is close beside me. His rod protects me. His staff comforts me. Jesus promises to never leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). - Command your soul. David did this in Psalm 103:1 — "Bless the LORD, O my soul." He's not describing how he feels. He's telling his soul what to do. Speak what is true even when it doesn't feel true. Preach to yourself. - Do in the valley what you did on the mountain. Faithfulness in the dark looks like showing up anyway — to Scripture, to prayer, to the ordinary rhythms — even when you don't want to. Especially when you don't want to.
You probably didn't write "darkest valley" on your list. But the Shepherd did. And he's already there.