當伊蓮被診斷為癌症末期時，她與丈夫查克都知道，不久後伊蓮就要回歸天家，永遠與耶穌同在。他們夫妻倆都很珍視在詩篇23篇裡上帝的應許，知道他們在面對54年婚姻中最幽暗、最艱險的深谷時，上帝會與他們同在。伊蓮早在數十年前就已經相信了耶穌，她也準備好去朝見這位救主，這個事實讓他們充滿盼望。

在伊蓮安息主懷之後，查克在追思禮拜中提到自己依然行走在「死蔭的幽谷」（詩篇23篇4節）。雖然他的妻子已經開始天堂的生活，但對他自己以及其他深愛伊蓮的人來說，死亡的陰影仍然揮之不去。

當我們行走在幽暗的深谷中時，哪裡能找到亮光呢？使徒約翰宣告：「上帝就是光，在祂毫無黑暗！」（約翰一書1章5節）耶穌也對眾人表明：「我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」（約翰福音8章12節）

身為基督徒，你我可以行走在上帝的榮光之中（詩篇89篇15節）。這位上帝已經應許與我們同在，即使我們行經最幽暗的深谷，祂也會成為我們的光源！

When Elaine was diagnosed with advanced cancer, she and her husband, Chuck, knew it wouldn’t be long until she’d be with Jesus. Both of them treasured the promise of Psalm 23 that God would be with them as they journeyed through the deepest and most difficult valley of their fifty-four years together. They took hope in the fact that Elaine was ready to meet Jesus, having placed her faith in Him decades before.

At his wife’s memorial service, Chuck shared that he was still traveling “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4 nkjv). His wife’s life in heaven had already begun. But the “shadow of death” was still with him and with others who’d greatly loved Elaine.

As we travel through the valley of shadows, where can we find our source of light? The apostle John declares that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). And in John 8:12, Jesus proclaimed: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

As believers in Jesus, we “walk in the light of [His] presence” (Psalm 89:15). Our God has promised to be with us and to be our source of light even when we travel through the darkest of shadows.