Living in Our Valley
I have personally enjoyed and been challenged by our recent study through 2 Chronicles 20, specifically the Valley of Berachah. As we conclude this series, I want to remind you one last time of the 10 steps to successfully walk through a valley in life.
#1 Seek the Lord
#2 Get to Church
#3 Remind the Lord
#4 Seek the Safe Place
#5 Not every battle needs to be fought
#6 Family Matters
#7 Fear Not
#8 Give Thanks
#9 Believe
#10 Worship
“And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.” 2 Chronicles 20:24-26
Learning how to walk through the valleys of life is key to understanding what God has in store for each of us. It is in the valley where our character is built, and wisdom is gained. When we respond effectively, we walk out of the valley with greater blessings than we could have ever imagined. The challenge Jehoshaphat and the people faced was great, but their response brought them an abundance of blessings. They walked away with more than they could carry, and it took them three days to gather all the spoils.
There is one thing we can always be sure of in life: God is always at work. Life brings us various crossroads and forces us to face them with patience and grace. I am reminded of the deep valley David experienced when he wrote Psalm 23. It was in that dark place that David discovered that the Lord provides and meets each of our needs. Valleys in life are not death, and they should not be viewed as complete disasters. David referred to the valley as a "shadow," but his trust in a faithful God did not waver.
The final challenge I would offer for walking through a valley is what David learned. We serve a God who is always on time. We prefer things to be done in our timing, not God’s. However, God stands outside of time. God created time. When we understand that the Creator has our best interests at heart, we experience joy, even in the valley. I know this because I am guilty of wanting things to end on my own terms. If you are like me, you may even be okay with walking through a valley just so you can say you survived. But we often want to dictate the timing of the valley. Our valley is designed to teach us that God’s perfect timing is always right on time. If God always gave us an overnight miracle, we would forget who brought us through the valley. God shows up when He knows He can receive all the glory.
Looking at David’s life in Psalm 23, we see that although he was walking through a valley, he did not make the valley his permanent home. The lesson we learn from David is that his trust in God allowed him to view the valley as just a temporary place. God’s timing was perfect. Our valley is not the end of life; it is the beginning of wisdom. I leave you with these words from Psalm 23:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Psalm 23
How will you journey through the valley?
Mr. Euler has over 20 years of experience working in Christian Schools, 13 as a Head of School and is currently the Head of School at Word of God Academy, Shreveport, LA., a ministry of Word of God Ministries.
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