How Do I Get Through This? Lessons from Psalm 23

Maybe you just moved to Charleston and the city still feels like a place you're visiting. Maybe you've never been to church and aren't sure what you'd even find there. Maybe you used to go, and somewhere along the way it stopped feeling like home. Whatever brought you here, there's a good chance you're carrying one question: How do I get through this?

That was the most-asked question in a survey Courageous Church ran last Easter, with over 120 responses. Pastor Dave tackled it by walking through one of the best-known passages ever written, Psalm 23.

A Testimony, Not Just a Theory

Pastor Dave pointed out that Psalm 23 isn't a lecture. It's a testimony. David, who wrote it, knew both extremes. He defeated Goliath as a teenager and became king, but he was also chased through the wilderness, failed morally, and watched his own family fracture. He knew mountaintops and valleys, and you can't have one without the other.

Keep Walking

The first thing Pastor Dave highlighted is a single word: walk. Valleys are meant to be passed through, not camped in. He shared a story about a hiking trip where his group set up camp in a dark valley, only to be overrun by insects at 3 a.m. The twist? Just half a mile down the road, the problem disappeared. They'd been a few yards from freedom the whole time.

The way we set up camp, he said, is isolation. We skip group for a week, then two. The day you least want to show up is usually the day you most need to. You don't have to pretend you're fine, but you do need to keep moving, and you don't need to do it alone.

There Is Another Side

Valleys feel deadly when we believe they're the end of the story. Pastor Dave was honest that some prayers get a "no," and some things don't make sense. But he pointed to a hope that stretches beyond any diagnosis, bank balance, or hard season: your story ends in glory.

Change How You See the Valley

David says he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, and shadows are cast by something real but have no substance themselves. Pastor Dave also encouraged us to consider that a hard season might be God's leading, not his punishment. Valleys that feel terrifying at night can be stunning in daylight. We bring light in through worship, prayer, hopeful Scripture, and encouraging people. Fear, he noted, is really the absence of light, and all you need is one match.

Who You Walk With Changes What You Walk Through

The heart of the message is a small shift in Psalm 23. Earlier verses talk about the Lord. In the valley, David talks to him: "You are with me." Pastor Dave admitted he doesn't have an answer for everything you're facing, but he does have company for you in it. His presence brings comfort, and there's a side of God you only get to know in the valley.

Your Next Step

If you're new to Charleston, new to faith, or unsure about church, you're welcome at Courageous. You can come as you are, meet people, join a group, or pick up a free Bible from the Connect team. A prayer team is also available at the end of each service.

Whatever your valley looks like right now, you don't have to walk it alone. Watch the full message and join us this Sunday.