You Will Not LIVE in that Valley!

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!

Let God Empty You of Needless Things

I bought a bigger purse so I’d have room for everything. Trouble is everything I need goes to the bottom of the huge purse! I finally got tired of digging through everything to find one small item I needed. One day I just emptied the entire contents of my purse onto the bar in the kitchen. To my amazement there was tons of stuff that came out of my purse! Receipts, deposit slips, notes, along with a billfold, a comb, a hairbrush, keys, fingernail clipper and more.  It was a mountain of stuff – no wonder my shoulder was hurting!

It was only when I completely emptied my purse that I could find what I was looking for. I decided that there was no need to put all that back in my purse and carry it around, so I left it out. Now that my purse is less full of contents, I find it much easier to find what I really need. I’m concerned though that it won’t be long until it’s all filled up again with things I just jam in there because I’m in too big a hurry or don’t have time to file it or put it away.

Life is a lot like a purse. There are many compartments and lots of room. We tend to fill our lives up with stuff and stuff our lives with things. Add another trip to the store, another ballgame to play, a date with friends, a movie, a new set of golf clubs, a new relationship, a new church, a bigger vacation.  We get so full of stuff we can’t find what we really need. We’re too busy shuffling through the mountain of activity to even enjoy the most important things in life.

It’s only when we empty ourselves of the excess that we can see the important things, what we’re really searching for clearly.  When it’s all emptied out, even though the process can be unnerving and hurtful, we find that what we really need is already there for us. We just have to be careful that when we get rid of the junk we don’t slip back into refilling our lives and losing sight of God’s best again.

Are you digging in the bag of life, searching for precious things you thought were lost? Have you been emptied out and left alone? Do you feel that there’s no hope for you and that without all the stuff you had you won’t be complete? Are you concerned that if God asks for things from you, you might be worthless, useless or less than you want to be?

Oh beloved, run to God’s Word this morning and see just how complete you are in Christ! See the magnificent jewels of His truths that are hidden beneath the junk. Pull out faith and put it on! Take out peace and let it cover you completely! Don’t fill up on junk, for it’s too heavy a burden to carry. Rather, let God empty you of needless things so that you can be filled with needful gifts and blessings from His rich storehouse. God says I AM your best choice, I AM your greatest asset, I AM your most precious item and your beloved keepsake. Let Me replace the emptiness you feel with the fullness of Me.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s more than enough to keep you full of love joy and peace the rest of your days!

Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through Your word.

Psalm 119:92-93 If Your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery. I will never forget Your commandments, for by them You give me life.

Genesis 22:14 Abraham named the place Jehovah – Jireh (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.”

Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”