A life lived without God in it, is a life lived in the arms of death. But a life lived with God in it is a life lived in the shadow of death.
The psalmist writes in Psalm 23:4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for You are with me." He wasn't talking to himself, he was talking to God, for the psalmist knew God on a personal level and was thus able to say confidently that he only walked 'through' the valley, he didn't live there. His confidence came from knowing God, not knowing about God or of God, but knowing who his God is and that His God walked with him.
There has been much discussion on the origin of life, the beginning of life, per se. Since God creates all life, God is the origin of life. When God created Adam, God breathed life into Adam. But what about babies? Where does life begin in a baby?
Where do we go for the beginning of life? Conception? Heartbeat? Intelligent awareness? This is not enough. We must go further back to than mere conception. Jeremiah 1:4-5 speaks of when 'the Word of God' came to Jeremiah and spoke to him, saying "before I created you in the womb, I knew you'. And, 'before you were born, I knew you'". What do we learn from this verse? Life begins with God.
A life lived with this knowledge is the beginning of a life lived with God. Mere knowledge is not enough. To knowledge must be added faith/belief. Belief that God not only Is, but also Was and Will Be. God is the Creator of all life at all times in all ages (eras). God is Preserver of life. Apart from God there is no life, physical or spiritual.
John 1:1-4 asserts this knowledge to us who not only read, but believe: (1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. (4) In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. Therefore, in the beginning is The Word and that Word is Life. We accept this knowledge of the origin of Life because we believe God's Word to be Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11). Life begins with God.
