07-16-09
This Is The Day The Lord Has Made And I Shall Rejoice In It!
THE BELIEVER'S VALLEY EXPERIENCES
Read: Psalm 23: 1-4
In the Bible, valleys symbolize periods of hardship and suffering. King David describes to us in the Psalms a particularly dangerous and painful image when he refers to "the valley of the shadow of death" (vs-4). In the midst of a poem meant to provide comfort and assurance is a cold reminder that spiritual valleys are inevitable. But if we read only of green pastures and quiet waters, we miss the heart of Psalm 23 and a core truth about the believers life.
The valley verse contains a promise not found among the lovely first lines. In hardship, believers discover "Thou art with me" (vs 4). God's unwavering presence becomes most obvious to us when we are vulnerable. And along with our experience of His assurance and comfort comes the understanding that the Lord goes with us daily - even into the depths of our despair. When people do not recognize His constancy they turn to other coping methods, such as going to bars for a so-called happy hour or burying themselves in work. But filled with the knowledge that God holds us no matter how deep or wide our "valley" is, believers can release fear and endure suffering.
As the Good Sheperd, Jesus protects and guides His lambs through trials. Even in these low places, we cannot be snatched from Him. (John 10:29) His rod beats away predators trying to drag away one of the flock. And His staff's crooked neck pulls a wandering sheep back from the cliff's edge.
SEED WORD:
When we are in a dark valley, God may be our only comfort. But we can take heart because He's always there, our Sheperd never forsakes His beloved lambs. It is not the valleys that you must worry about but how you go through the valley is what counts. We can mope around in our valleys or we can turn things over to the Lord, start praising him and thanking him for that valley because the sooner you come out of it the quicker he will bring you into the still waters. Remember the potter keeps putting his pot back into the fire until it sings. Look what happened to Paul and Silas in their midnight hour, as they began to sing praises, the bars fell open.
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