Life is easy in the valley and hard on the mountain because:
Even though life in the valleys cannot be compared with life in the
mountains, we can be sure that life in the valleys brings us closer to Jesus.
Through the many trials of life, God has promised to be with us and with
every trial we get to love God more.
Psalm 23:1 says:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me.
Example of Job in the book of Job in the Bible. He was in the valley of
many trials which was death, sickness, poverty but despite all that he was
going through, that is when he chose to look to God more. As opposed to
the mountaintops where life can be so well, we have everything we might
forget about God easily and it might be easy to sin.
Another example was of Abraham who was in the valley of not having a
child but still trusted God which made life easy for Him and his wife
Sarah.
Life is easy in the valley because we have Jesus walking with us everyday
even when we do not see Him. We hope and trust in His love to see us
through.
God Walks with You through the Valleys
Life is good on the mountaintops of celebration. But no matter how much we’d like to
spend our lives up there, we need to walk through the valleys of challenges, too. Life
is tough in the valleys. Still, there are valuable lessons we can learn in the valleys
that we could never learn if we stayed on the mountaintops.
If you find yourself walking through a valley right now, let God teach you as He walks
alongside you. Here’s how you can find victory in the valleys:
* The Valley of Uncertainty. Remember that every day of your life is gift from God.
Thank Him for each day, and decide to use your time as well as you can. Don’t
assume that you have tomorrow; live one day at a time, as best as you can. Praise
God for giving you life and ask Him to accomplish His full purposes for you.
Understand that nothing can take you from Earth until God’s plan for you is
complete, and nothing can keep you here after God’s plan for you is complete.
* The Valley of Fear. Know that God wants to use this valley to deepen your faith.
Be assured that nothing can change the fact that you belong to God, and He is in
ultimate control of your life. Ask God to make you aware of His presence with you
and to give you the peace that only He can give – the peace that surpasses all
understanding. Remember that God will help you overcome anything that’s causing
you fear. Ask Him to give you the strength you need. Realize that God will be faithful
to you, even when you’re not faithful to Him. Use your time in this valley to learn how
to trust God more, knowing that struggles build trust by showing you how to live out
your faith.
* The Valley of Detours. Realize that what is a detour to you because it’s
unexpected is, to God, just part of the expected path for your life. Even though you
don’t know where the detour will lead, God does. Lift your eyes beyond your
circumstances to God and trust Him to guide you well. Cooperate with His plans for
you; work with Him instead of against Him. Decide to live your life according to
biblical morals, and follow God in both adversity and prosperity. Count on God’s
promises in Scripture as He works out His plan for your life. Cling to His providence
and move forward in confidence.
* The Valley of Suffering. Understand that, because God is sovereign, nothing can
get to you without first coming through Him. Know that He won’t allow you to suffer
any more than you can bear, and that the suffering He allows you to experience is all
for a good purpose in your life. Ask God to show you what He wants to learn from
your suffering. Use your time of suffering to get to know God better, love Him more,
and trust Him more. Don’t lose heart; seasons of suffering inevitably end, and often
result in positive growth for you.
* The Valley of Storms. Invite God to use the storms you go through to stretch your
faith. Understand that God can use storms for correcting (returning you to a right
relationship with Him), perfecting (to mature you and prepare you for serving more in
His kingdom), and instructing (to teach lessons you couldn’t learn otherwise). As you
struggle through a storm, keep in mind that Jesus is watching and listening, and He
is rooting for you. Not only that, but He is praying for you to remain faithful and learn
to trust Him even more. Don’t panic, no matter how much rain falls, how loud the
thunder crashes, or how close the lightening strikes, because God is more powerful
than any storm you could ever experience.
* The valley of Discouragement. Seek counsel from people who are close to God,
rather than from worldly sources. Ask strong Christians to pray for you, because their
prayers are powerful. Bring your problems and pains to God and ask Him to
empower you to handle them according to His will. Ask God for encouragement, and
know that He will give it to you. Don’t isolate yourself or fall into lethargy. Remember
that if you wait until you feel like doing something, you often won’t do it, but if you
decide to take action no matter what your feelings, your feelings will follow. For
example, if you wait to read your Bible until you’re in the mood to do so, you
probably won’t read it. But if you read it anyway, despite your feelings, you’ll discover
that you’ll want to read it more. Trust that obeying God will always bring His
blessings into your life. Remember that nothing is impossible for God, and that
problems are platforms for Him to work miracles if He chooses to do so. Know that
you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you. Don’t quit living a faithful
life; if you do, you’ll miss out on God’s best for you. Be persistent in faith until your
circumstances change – and know that, in the process, you will change for the better
yourself.
* The Valley of Confusion. While walking through this valley, don’t let yourself
become disoriented. Stay focused on God, and firmly cling to Him and His promises,
regardless of what happens. Be assured that even when your circumstances
confuse you, God knows what He’s doing in your life. Ask Him to help you trust Him
more.
* The Valley of Correction. Recognize that every crisis is an opportunity to take a
personal inventory to determine how closely connected you are to God. Ask Him to
show you any sins in your life that are blocking intimacy with Him. Repent, accept
His forgiveness, and embrace the grace He offers to be reconciled with Him. Know
that through your repentance, God can restore you and use your life to accomplish
great things.
* The Valley of Sickness. Understand that sickness is a summons to pray. Don’t be
shy about praying often, about everything you need, like healing, strength, and
wisdom. Intercede for your loved ones and your medical team. Keep praying until
answers come. Ask others – especially strong Christians – to pray for you, and let
them know your specific requests. Don’t wait for others to contact you; take the
initiative to contact them. Seek the best medical care you can find, pray hard, and
never give up hope. Understand that, while physical healing isn’t guaranteed, God
will intervene according to His will if you pray and give you peace and possibly
restored health as well.
Life is Meant to be Lived in the
Valley, Not the Mountaintop
Life is not a long series of mountaintop experiences. Life is a long
walk in the valley with an occasional trek up the side of the mountain
for a breath of fresh air. Then, it’s back to work at the bottom.
Even as we are called to be purposeful in the grand moments of life, we are
called to be purposeful in the small ones. Luke 16:10 (ESV) says, “One
who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is
dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”
Why is it so hard to be faithful with the small things? They’re less exciting,
less pressing, and often it feels like there’s less reward. But they’re worth it.
Our hard work in the valley pays off when we get to see the incredible
views from the top. How can we maintain our calling in the midst of the
mundane?
Remember Who Has Called You
God is a God of kings, queens, servants, and slaves. He has ordained
each one of our stations and callings, and daily equips us to perform our
duties if we ask. Psalm 16:6 (ESV) says, “The lines have fallen for me in
pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”
A beautiful inheritance. This means you, the brilliant CEO who works
twelve-hour days and struggles to see how God is using her in her co-
workers’ lives. This means you, the college student who longs for life to get
started, when the reality is God has you where you are now for a reason.
This means you, the single mother who is barely hanging on, but has been
given the precious gift of teaching her children about Jesus.
We all have a beautiful inheritance. We are all children of God. As such, we
have a role to play no matter where we find ourselves. Our role as image-
bearers of Christ and messengers of the Gospel is constant regardless of
our situation. So be filled with the purpose to which He has called all of us,
knowing that He is creating a good work in us - His faithful servants on the
soccer field, in the boardroom, and at the dinner table.
Remember You’re Story Isn’t Finished
Philippians 1:6 (ESV) says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a
good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” He
began a work in us when we accepted Him as our Savior, and He is
bringing it to completion at the day of Christ. If Jesus isn���t back yet,
He isn’t done!
There is so much freedom in acknowledging that we are still in the middle
of our stories. There is grace for every attempt we make, and guidance for
all of our second tries. The next time you feel like you’re in the trenches,
remember that God’s not finished with you and He will bring new mercies
every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Acquaint Yourself with Others’ Stories
Every single person is an image-bearer of Christ, so every single story
matters. I think it’s important to familiarize ourselves with stories of martyrs,
heroes, people around our country, and people around the world. Instead
of reading these accounts with jealousy and thoughts of “if only my life
were this exciting,” commit to celebrating the different specific callings God
has placed on each one of our lives. Remember, too, that at the end of the
day, we all share the same purpose to glorify His name.
Finally, Look for the Marvelous in the Mundane
Practically speaking, ordinary days take a toll on our hearts. This is why we
desperately need to use our vacation days, get away from our busy
schedules, and take time to decompress. Time and money do not always
afford us these privileges.
When you’re stuck in a rut, take inventory of your day and choose to hold
onto what worked. Take your eyes off of how you’re performing, and focus
on what God is teaching you or doing through you. And when you
experience a mountaintop moment, write it down! Remind yourself of this
snippet of God’s faithfulness revealed, so that when you’re struggling you
can hold onto the truth that He is still there.
It’s hard being faithful day-in and day-out. It’s hard being faithful with
purpose. God calls us to be faithful with what’s in front of us, not what’s in
front of our neighbors, or our family, or our friends. And often, that requires
making the most of small moments even when we’d rather be living big
ones.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) “Now may the God of peace, who through the
blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His
will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
