Have you recently entered into a valley in your life? You didn’t choose this valley, but God has chosen it for you. God knows exactly what He is doing in your life. The process of becoming more like Christ is not always pleasant. The valley is a place where we meet fire, pressure, and the unknown. The great thing about the valley is that we are not traveling this valley alone. David, who faced many valleys, wrote: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: FOR THOU ART WITH ME; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
As you reflect upon your time in the valley, there are several lessons to learn. As James wrote: “My brethren, COUNT IT ALL JOY when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4) There is joy amid the valley because the Lord is still working in our lives.
Regardless of age, we are learning new lessons and reviewing old ones. We are slow learners, but God is a very patient teacher. He knows what to bring into our lives to make Christlikeness a reality. Every valley is different, and there are new lessons to learn. Here are some lessons the Lord teaches us as we travel through this valley.
1. We learn that every valley is God’s special plan for our lives. Joseph didn’t choose to become a slave, but it was God’s special plan. He understood this very clearly when he told his brothers. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph’s brothers did evil when they sold him into slavery, yet God took that evil deed and used it for good.
As we plod through this valley, we become thankful that God is still working in our lives. Paul understood this when he wrote: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). God is working His loving plan in our lives. He knows the right instrument to use to make us more like Jesus!
2. We learn that the valley is a place of thirsting for Christ. Communion with Christ can elude us in the good times; however, in the valley, it is essential. The valley shouts to us: “Go to Christ! Go to Christ!” Our need for Christ increases our desire for him. David wrote: “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” (Psalm 63:1). When we thirst for Christ, He is there to satisfy our thirst. When we run from the valley of His choosing, we lose those intimate times of fellowship with Him.
3. We learn that we can show our vulnerabilities before others. The valley has a way of causing us to be broken and humble before God and others. As a result, people see that we are vulnerable. Those who love us will see this vulnerability and try to bring comfort, healing, and encouragement into our lives. Naomi showed her vulnerability before Ruth. As a result, Ruth left everything and became her dearest friend.
Sometimes, we try to show our strength while traveling in the valley. If we had only expressed our needs, people would have been eager to help us. There is nothing wrong with letting people know that you are traveling through a valley. Jonathan had a great ministry of encouragement to David because David showed his vulnerability to Jonathan.
4. We learn that we need intercessory prayer. We don’t ask people to pray for us when things are going well. However, when we enter the valley, Paul’s words, “Brethren, pray for us,” easily fall from our lips. We may not understand how prayer works, but it does! There are many pitfalls in this valley, and yet the prayers of others will take us through each pitfall.
5. We learn that tears are perfectly appropriate. We may rarely cry, but when something or someone you love is hurting, tears flow naturally. Jesus said: “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) Comfortcomes from the Savior who shed His tears for the people of Jerusalem. He sorrows for the same things which cause us to have sorrow. The tears show that we love those things that Jesus loves. When we weep in our valley, we follow the example of Jesus Christ.
6. We learn that great comfort comes from the Word of God. The valley causes us to have a greater desire to read the Word, but it also gives us a greater ability to allow the truths of God’s Word to speak to our hearts. When things are going well, we may read the Bible, but the Bible becomes our life-preserver when we are in the valley. We hold unto its truths as though our lives depend upon it. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:71)
As you continue traveling this valley, be thankful that you don’t have to travel alone. Jesus is walking with you and places people in your life who will walk with you in the valley. There will be more lessons to learn and relearn; however, you have the greatest teacher who ever walked the earth. His name is Jesus!
Bible Treasures for Today 