View from the Valley
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. Isaiah 41:17-20
Mountaintop experience… we’ve all heard that term, but to have mountains, there has to be valleys. Most of us remember the Biblical account of the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9, and how Peter wanted to build tabernacles on the mountain. Some of us have been fortunate enough to have our own ‘mountaintop experience.’ And we find, that just like Peter, James, and John, we don’t want to come down, but would stay in that place forever if we could. But the truth of the matter, is that we can’t live on the mountaintop and work for our Lord. We are called to be in this world, sharing His goodness. And as we descend down into the inevitable valleys of life, we must remember that God is with us every step of the way.
It finally happened… my worst fear. I was unable to publish a weekly blog post. Today marks 1 month since my last post. Health issues along with a serious case of writer’s block have nagged me. Surprisingly, I was diagnosed with mono at age 51… Aren’t I too old for that? Evidently not. The writer’s block came when I sat studying Psalm 37… Suddenly, as I got to verse 7:Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: I felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me, “This… this is what you are NOT doing.” I have prayed, begged, and agonized, desiring a true revival in my area. My blog posts had become frustrated… Instead of telling everyone what God can do… they became about what everyone should do different. I forgot… I forgot that He is the author of everything, not me. I have so much joy in my renewed relationship with Him that I want everyone to experience it… But, I forgot, that I can’t force anyone to love the Lord!
I began writing this post nearly 18 months ago. I thought I knew what experiencing a valley after a mountaintop experience was like. I didn’t. Honestly, I still don’t know that I do. I am still just as thrilled to open God’s Word and read His truth as I was at the beginning of this ‘personal revival’. But tonight, as I re-read this passage in Isaiah, I considered how fortunate we are that God is truly Jehovah Jireh: the God who provides. He provides for us when we’re in the low places of life. He has provided food and water for both our physical needs and our spiritual needs. If we just look to Him.
If you’ve forgotten how good it felt when you first came to know Christ as your Savior, He can restore that joy! If you’re walking through a tough time in your life, He will walk beside you! Our great God can supply all your needs! He’s there, and He’s waiting for you to look to Him for help. Look up Christian! It is often when we’re in a low place and He is walking beside us that He becomes so easily visible to our spirit.
It may be dark here in your valley, the path might seem dangerous and foreboding. But, oh, we can look behind us and remember the view from that mountain, and look ahead and see the next mountaintop in the distance. Stay close to your guide, and no matter how tough the journey is, peace is available.
