9, Shadowed Valley of Death

Moving from Darkness into Light

The Shadowed Valley of Death

Fig. 9-1: The Shadowed Valley of Death traversed by Christian

Is this really the path I must take?
Walking through a wilderness-like world, such questions arose deep within my heart.
When the fire of faith flickers and the shadow of doubt shakes the soul,
Christian recalled the psalmist’s confession:

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." (Psalm 23:4)

Those words became a ray of light, pushing back the darkness within.
In the distance, he saw a figure walking ahead.
It was Faithful.

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A Pilgrim Companion Reunited

"Brother Faithful, how grateful I am to meet you again!"
The two walked together,
confessing their wounds and encouraging each other in faith.
The “valley of death” had become a place where the presence of God was felt.

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Temptation of Wanton and the Shield of the Word

Faithful confessed:
"I met a woman on the road, named Wanton.
Her temptation was sweet and alluring, but a single verse of Scripture protected me in that moment."

"For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood." (Prov. 5:3–4, adapted)

Temptation comes to everyone,
but only those who hide God’s Word in their hearts can deflect its blade.

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A Memory of Repentance

I, too, had once wavered under the shadow of lust.
One night in my youth, wandering before the allure of the flesh—
like Joseph fleeing Potiphar’s wife,
I left that place with trembling steps:

"How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:9)

From that day, I repented.
Even the desires of the heart knelt before the Word of God,
and I resolved never to return to that path.
That fiery repentance burned away the ashes of my soul,
and in its place arose the fragrance of new life and grace.

Fig. 9-2: The pilgrim encountering Wanton

Another Valley with the Storks

After retirement, I entered the empty valleys of life,
not realizing that this too was a shadowed valley of death.
A small room in Yesan Village, a quiet studio,
and the stork village I visited daily.

God entrusted me with the storks,
and one day He took them back.
"Lord, why have You allowed this?"
He was silent.
Yet in that silence, I learned:
even the mission is not mine; all belongs to the Lord.

Since then, I sat by the vase of flowers and prayed.
Each day’s small prayers accumulated,
becoming a sunset that led toward the Lord.

Fig. 9-3: The pilgrim in prayer

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Encounter with a Talkative

On the road, they met a man, a Talkative.
He could recite the Bible flawlessly and boast of his faith in words alone.

Faithful asked:
"How has God’s grace truly changed your life?"

He replied:
"Grace is simply telling us that sin is wrong."

Faithful quietly said:
"Grace is the power to hate sin and turn away from it."

The man flushed with anger and finally said,
"That’s not my view; I will go my own way!"
and disappeared.

He had knowledge but lacked wisdom,
he condemned sin while delighting in it,
and spoke of God with his lips while His presence was absent from his heart.

Fig. 9-4: Faithful, Christian, and Talkative

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The Talkative Who Sold the Storks

Through him, I was reminded of another Talkative in my own life:
a successor who had worked alongside me on the stork restoration project.
She turned the work I had built into her own achievement,
traded the storks’ ownership for fame and awards.

Yet through this, I learned:
God delights not in human honor, but in sincere obedience.

"God’s work is not a tool for pride,
but a place of service marked by tears."

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The Kiss of Judas

In my deepest despair, I thought of Judas.
Even he was ultimately a tool used in God’s plan.
And I realized:
"That Judas is not unrelated to me."

I, too, had misunderstood the Lord in my disappointment,
and had moments of resentment born from feelings of injustice.

Fig. 9-5: Judas Iscariot’s Kiss

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A Pilgrim’s New Confession

I now understand:
most of life is not under my control,
but a journey of passivity allowed by God.
Thus, rather than forcing change,
faith is found in seeking the Lord’s will within it.

"I have decided no longer to fight.
All I can do is walk this pilgrim path,
and even these steps are only possible when permitted by the Lord."

Now I walk again,
beneath the skies where the storks fly,
toward the shining city of Zion.