hich he carried
with him. The staff was a great stick with a large knob at the end of it
pierced through with sharp nails and spikes. This weapon was used to
beat off the attacks of the wild beasts. The shepherd must be bold and
courageous. We recall how David referred to his encounters with wild
beasts which attacked his flock. "And David said unto Saul, Thy servant
kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a
lamb out of the flock; and I went out after him, and smote him, and
delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught
him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the
lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of
them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said
moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out
of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the
Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the +LORD+ be with thee"
(I Samuel 17:34-37).

=_The Valley of the Shadow_=

"The valley of the shadow of death" may refer to any dark, dread or
awful experience through which the child of God is called to pass. In
this sense it is used in many places in the Scriptures. The Christian's
path is not always beside still waters and in green pastures.

In pastures green? Not always; sometimes He
Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me
In weary ways, where heavy shadows be.

And by still waters? No not always so,
Ofttimes the heavy tempests round me blow,
And o'er my soul the waves and billows go.

But when the storm beats loudest, and I cry
Aloud for help, the Master standeth by,
And whispers to my soul, "Lo, it is I!"

Above the tempest wild I hear Him say,
"Beyond the darkness lies the perfect day,
In every path of thine I lead the way."

--_Henry H. Barry_

But is it not kind of our Father that He puts the valley in the middle
of the Psalm--not at the beginning of our Christian journey, lest we
should be unduly discouraged, but in the middle--after we have been
strengthened with food and drink and have been assured of the tender
care and guidance of the Great Shepherd. Oh! wondrous thought and care!

Of course, "the valley of the shadow of death" refers also, and probably
more particularly, to the experience of death itself. At least we have
come to look upon it in such l