valley of the shadow of death
Submitted by Splash! on December 08 2000 22:16:49
In reply to Thanks for your insight! submitted by Once a Boy on December 08 2000 18:13:08
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I've also had an out-of-body experience which scared me because I was afraid I might not be able to come back, and I haven't had another experience like it since. And I have had several experiences of being alone in the "darkness" that you speak of -- and I didn't feel like I was out-of-body at all. I was talking with a friend this morning, and he mentioned the same verse you quote, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4). He told me about a person who was pretty much dead on an operating table as doctors tried to pump more blood into his body than what he was losing. He said it was like total darkness, and then something (a little bit lighter than the darkness) started to spin in front of him and then stop. It was a verse from Isaiah that mentioned that King Hezekiah would be given an extension of time to live. He read this verse and realized that it was biblical for him to ask for an extension to his life, so he did. But then he heard the sweetest voice he had ever heard. The voice said, "If you just stop breathing you will have peace like you've never known." He thought about it and said, "Wait. God just showed me that I could live longer and now this voice is asking me to stop living." As soon as he realized that the voice was not of God, the darkness became light and he saw angels standing all around him. It was at this moment that he heard a very loud voice. He said the only way he could describe the voice was to say it sounded like rolling thunder. The voice asked him about his life, and everytime he tried to talk about the good things he did in his life, this thunderous voice revealed the ungodly motivations behind everything he had done. This man was convicted each time the voice spoke. Anyway, the man was allowed to come back to life. I believe he went on to pastor a church. He truly experienced walking through the "valley of the shadow of death," and with God's help, he was able to conquer it. I'm not sure about the other response that you got. My view of God is based on scripture, and I believe you were correct in having fear and calling out to God. If it happens again, I would take advantage of the moment *to* speak to God and allow Him to show you what you should learn from the experience. Peace. ~Splash* |
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