“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Unless you are a very fortunate person, or unless you are a person who has more faith than most people, you will walk through the valleys of life. David called it the “valley of the shadow of death.” Life’s valleys do not normally physically kill people, but they can kill their dreams and expectations. We probably all have examples of how this has happened to us. Sometimes we do not intend to drift into a valley, but we do anyway. How can we get out of the valley? Our text reminds us of one important fact that we let escape us in our valleys, and that is that God is in our valleys with us. You have probably heard the song, “The God of the mountain is still God in the valley.” I imagine that our text was the force behind that song. If you are a Christian, there is nothing that you face in life alone. It is possible that you need to be reminded of this at this time in your life. You might be facing personal problems, family problems, or even church problems, and you are at your wit's end. I read one time that “if you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” It is a fact that you are not in this valley alone, for “the Lord is with you, His rod and His staff, they protect you.” Hey, come on; believe that God is with you in your valley. The Bible also reminds us of the importance of faith in Jesus when we face everything that we have to face in life. This is particularly true when we are in the valleys of life. The writer of the hymn “Just as I am, without one plea” illustrates the importance of faith in delivering us out of our valleys. “The hymn was written by Charlotte Elliott, who was an invalid for more than fifty years. Often as she watched those about her busy with so many important tasks she became discouraged. But her faith helped her to rise above despair. This hymn is a testament of the faith she had when gave meaning to her sheltered life.” (A Treasury of Sermon Illustrations, edited by Charles L. Wallis) You will probably remember this the next time you hear this hymn. In Prayer, seek Jesus in faith today. Talk to Him about your valley. Confess you unbelief and lean on Him I have one more point to make about getting out of valleys: When you get out of your valley, help someone else get out of their's. There is nothing that can cleanse and strengthen our faith like helping someone else. You can begin by praying for them. Get out of that valley. Well, do it! Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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