In recent months, my family has been going through one of the most challenging seasons of our lives. The details are not really relevant to our conversation here, I am bringing attention to it because I feel it provides a sense of the depths of what I am about to say comes from.
We all face challenges, difficulties, and setbacks. It is a part of life. It is a part of being human. And if you are the type of person who is looking to do something of significance, even something great, then the probability goes up that you are going to face seasons of trials.
Notice I said seasons because it isn’t just one season and then we live happily ever after. We aren’t in a movie, a good book, or a cheesy sitcom.
Too often those mediums, as wonderful as they are, condition us to think that if we can just climb over the mountain in front of us, then it will be smooth sailing from that point on. We see our favorite characters do this all the time unless, of course, they come back for a sequel.
Instead, life is full of mountains and valleys. We climb to the top of a mountain, only to discover there is another mountain on the horizon. And, in order to climb that mountain, we have to go through the valley and then begin to climb once again.
Some mountains are bigger than others, and some valleys are deeper and longer than others. Regardless of the depth or length, every valley must be crossed in order for us to climb the mountains that lay before us.
In Psalm 23, the Psalmist David reflects on his own life and the many valleys he walked through. In his psalm, David proclaims, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
David was a man who was anointed to be King as a teenager. He conquered a country by slaying a giant not long after that. He was then ushered into the King’s palace with the hopes of being mentored for his own future reign. Instead, his life was threatened by the man who was supposed to mentor him, and he had to flee to another country for his own safety. For years he lived as a foreigner, on the run, struggling through his own valleys before he was ever able to step into his calling as King.
In my own life, God has been showing me in this season that every valley comes to an end. Even though my family is walking in a valley and it feels forever long, as though we will never reach the next mountain, He is right here with us.
He is providing for all of our needs, he is revealing things to us we desperately need to know and learn, and he is taking care of the circumstances for us.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying God is doing everything we want him to. In fact, part of the desperation of the valley seasons in our lives is that God is moving in ways we aren’t asking and ignoring things we believe are priorities.
In fact, some of what God is doing for us is, at times, uncomfortable and unfamiliar. At times we would rather him not be doing things for us because we are being pushed in ways that are uncomfortable and even unwanted.
We try to tell him how we want things done, but in true God fashion, he does things his way.
What I have learned throughout my life, though, is that when in the valley, I have to choose to trust God and place my faith in him.
I have to choose to remember “all things work together for the good of those who love God”. (Rom 8.28)
I have to choose to remember that “he will never leave me or forsake me”. (Hebrews 13:5)
Not because I feel that way, or because everything around me is reminding me of that.
I need to remember those truths about God because the scriptures tell me that
…because that is the true reflection of God’s character
…because my relationship with Jesus is not built on circumstances but on eternal truths that are immovable.
My family and I may be walking in the valley, but there is nothing to fear because he is with us right in the middle of what is happening in our lives.
He is working on things I can not possibly foresee or understand.
His sight is infinite and His heart is always true. His love is pure and his character is rock solid.
So, we will continue to walk through the valley with our heads up. We will keep our focus up high…not on the mountains we will climb when we come out of this valley, but on the God who is leading us through the valley so we will be strong enough to climb the mountain when we arrive at the base.
As you walk through your valley, fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. (Hebrews 12:2) So when you arrive at the base of your mountain you will be strong enough to climb it.
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