Have you ever read Psalm 23 and wondered about the meaning of the phrase, “The valley of the shadow of death”? The Bible says that it’s appointed unto humankind to die; that’s a given (Hebrews 9:27). But is there a deeper meaning? I’m a simple person, so I like simple answers. When Christ died on the Cross, He who knew no sin became sin. God’s wrath was poured out on the One who was perfect, innocent, and guiltless. We, who deserved that wrath, were spared. He became sin, and we received His righteousness. There was a transfer of His life into our dead souls. It was the epitome of a tragic death. Although every person will experience physical death, our situation will be different from what Jesus endured. He experienced pain, suffering, and tragedy so that we can one day walk with God in Heaven. The shadow of death passes over us, and we are forever free in Christ. We have already passed out of death into life. Shadows can’t hurt us; Jesus made sure of that.