We recently made a trip through the Boston Mountains in
northwest Arkansas. Normally I’m pretty
worn out after the ride but this year it was nice. I like rolling hills and the
not so big mountains in Arkansas. We
came home a different way to avoid construction and found ourselves going
through a valley. Some valleys are pretty, fertile and green with slow moving
cattle and the occasional deer. Other valleys are stark, treeless and without
any green to speak of. I find it hard to
see any beauty in those valleys.
God speaks to my heart: I’ve been through a lot of
valleys. Some of you may be going through a valley right now. Some of them were
valleys I chose to walk through. Other valleys showed up abruptly because of
things that happened to me. At the hands of another, the valley can be
especially hard. Can you relate? There are the valleys of decision, valleys of
death, valleys of troubles, trials and emotion.
What do we do when we’re in a valley? What happens if a
torrential rain of trials, hurts, agony comes? How do we escape? Where do we
find solace? What if the sun is beating down so hard on us that we feel we’re
going to burn up and die right in that valley? Will anyone find us? Will anyone
help us? Where is the shade when you need it? Where are our friends? Why are we
all alone in this huge valley? We don’t think we’re going to make it!
What we’re really saying in all of our valleys is
“where is God?” That’s who we really want!
When everything else is empty, when everyone else has walked away, driven
on, ridden out of our life, it’s just us and we have a Savior. And His name is
I AM. His name is Comforter, Wonderful, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace. He is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and He is my Abba Father.
Oh beloved, God is God in everything you are going
through. He has not abdicated His throne. He has not given away His
Sovereignty, His Provision or His will. He is stepping into your valley as King
of Kings and Lord of Lord. But He alone is King. He alone is Lord. If you will
look up from this valley and look to the mountain of the Lord, look to Him
alone, you will find Him to be the All Sufficient One.
Nothing else is true beloved. You are not alone. You
are not abandoned. You are not lost. Because God sees the past, present, and
future, He is able to know beforehand what our needs are and therefore make
provision for all that we need. You are not at the mercy of the buzzards who
want to circle your circumstances. You are not left to be eaten and destroyed.
The Lord Himself loves you and that love is
everlasting, eternal and complete. He is on your side, already making provision
for you! Rejoice as you live in the light of His Word!
Genesis 22:14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh
(which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name
as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Jehovah
Jireh)
Isaiah 33:6 In that day He will be
your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and
knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be
your treasure.
Psalm 42:11 Why am I
discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him
again—my Savior and my God!
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