Through The Valley

When we are tired, God's power is the strongest. When we are weak, God's strength comes through. When we can't see which way to go, God lights our path. God has a plan for you, and nothing Satan throws at you will stop God from fulfilling what He has for you. He is faithful and will not fail you. He is there to hold you up. When we go through valleys, God is there. When we are on the mountain, God is there.

No one likes being in a valley; we would rather be on a mountaintop. When we are on a mountaintop we may feel as if we are so close to God that we can almost touch His face. God showed me something about being in a valley that I would like to share with you. We know that God lives in heaven, but for just a moment let's imagine that God lives on a very high mountain; so high that you cannot see the top of the mountain because it is hidden high above the clouds. On the top of a mountain you can see all around you. You can turn around and see what's behind you. You can look ahead of you and see what lies in front of you for miles. You can also see what's right below you at the foot of the mountain. This is like God who sees where we have been, what is ahead of us in our future, and where we are right now. God sees our past, our future, and our present.

Imagine at the bottom of this very high mountain is a valley or a meadow with thick green grass, many beautiful flowers, and trees full of fruit. Do you know why the valley at the bottom of the mountain is so beautiful? It is because the rain from the sky falls on the mountain and flows from the very top all the way down and into the valley. The mountain is so tall that it seems as if the rain comes from the very top of the mountain and flows down into the valley to water the grass, flowers, and trees in the valley.

We can think of the rain as the Holy Spirit who flows from God and comes down to us and into our valleys. When we are in the valley the Holy Spirit feeds us, nourishes us, and strengthens us. As God touches us, the thorns in our lives turn into flowers that bloom, the barren trees in our lives yield fruit, and the dry grass in our valley turns thick and beautifully green. The water of the Holy Spirit will flow down from the top of the mountain or from heaven and will refresh, feed, and nourish us as we go through the valley.

God did not say that when we go into a valley that we will stay there. Psalm 23:4 states: "Yea, though I walk through the valley….". We will come out of our valleys. When we do come out of the valley, we should gather as much fruit from the valley as we can carry. As you leave the valley, you may see someone who is going into the valley as you are coming out. You may see people along your way that may need some of the fruit which you received while you were in the valley. Share some of the fruit from the valley with someone who may have a need. Share with someone the lessons you learned as you were going through the valley. Share with them what God has done for you. Give them some encouragement as they walk through this life, and as they go through their valley. God did not promise us that the valleys would be easy, but He did promise us that He would be with us as we walk through the valley.

Glenda Marsh