“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).
It was a beautiful day for flying. Storms earlier in the day had subsided, and I anticipated being home by evening. As our small plane approached Raleigh, we learned that our right-side landing gear had not engaged. We would crash land.
I prayed for protection. Acknowledging our serious predicament, I shifted the focus of my prayers to direction for my family. I asked that God would sustain Susan and that our children would accept the loss of a father and find a comforting relationship with their Heavenly Father. God provided both--protection and direction. We landed, spun off the runway, and rested in rain-softened grass. It was a perfect landing for a troubled aircraft. The pilot asked how I could maintain such calm, giving me an opportunity to share my faith with him.
David, the psalmist and king, understood the reality of perilous times. Yet he did not fear for his future, for he was assured of God's presence in all circumstances. Evil could not rob him of what God had promised. David could walk through distress and trials because of God's protection (rod) and direction (staff).
We live in comfort and abundance, especially at Christmastime. Yet we find ourselves perplexed by economic chaos, fear of terrorism, and a culture of changing values. The angel's announcement of good news about Jesus Christ means that although we will walk in the shadows of uncertainty, we can be free from submitting to fear. How comforting it is to experience the abiding presence of God through His Son, the Savior--our Shepherd!
Wilburn and Susan Honeycutt, married for 37 years, have been members of First Baptist Nashville since 1991. Wilburn also spent some of his young years at First Baptist along with his parents, Vira and Sam Honeycutt, still church members. Wilburn and Susan are the parents of three grown children—Leslie (married to Shawn Edgell), Nathan, and Ellen—and they direct our church’s Room in the Inn program. Wilburn is a deacon and substitute teacher, and Susan volunteers monthly at the Downtown Ministry Center. They are self-employed at Honeycutt Engineering, Inc., a civil and structural engineering firm.
The audio version of today's devotional was recorded by Gary Beaty.
