CONQUERING LIFE'S VALLEYS – Pt 1

Psalm 143:1-4 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.”

A pastor was going through some really deep water and was walking down the street just having some time alone with the Lord when he noticed a construction worker carving a triangle out of stone. He asked the gentleman what he was making. The man pointed to the steeple of the new church building where there was a small opening. “I’m carving this stone down here so it will fit up there,” the man answered.

The ugly reality is we really wouldn’t fit “up there” in our natural condition. God prepares us through redemption and life experiences so that we long to be “up there” and are fitted to be there. I love the truth of this verse “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)

Isn’t that a tremendous thought? God is working and will continue to do so until you and I are fitted for eternity. The Apostle Paul spoke of this work in Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified.”

You and I may not look like much; remember we’re only sinner saved by grace. But God sees us in the righteousness of Christ which has been imputed to us. (Romans 3:21-22) He also sees the finished product after He has made us fitted for “up there.”

Some of the process of God’s carving in our life involves valleys. In my years of working with people I have found many going through valleys. It may be in the death of a loved one. It may have been a baby, a young child or the sudden death of a teen who seemed to just be blossoming into his or her own personality. It may be a dreaded disease which threatens to shorten a person’s own life span. It could be the loss of a job which puts a financial burden on the entire family and puts life long plans on the back burner.

I think one of the hardest valleys a person can face is that of rejection. I’ve hurt and prayed with both men and women whose mates have walked out on them. The loss of finances, security and material possessions is nothing compared to the loss of love. Everybody wants to be loved and rejection is such devastation.

The valley of rejection may come by way of never feeling accepted by a parent. I’ve hurt and prayed with those who have said that they never felt they could do anything to please their dad. The valley of rejection may even come through a parent being held at arm’s length because the son or daughter was disappointed by actions of the parent.

Whatever the valley is in the life of the individual, the sovereign, almighty God has allowed that valley for a purpose. It’s not by accident. Those valleys have distinct characteristics and they bring feelings of depression, discouragement, despair and defeat.

Many people through history have been plagued with dark valleys. As a young lad I sat in the pew of Trinity Baptist Church in Oxford, Alabama and listened as a distinguished gray haired man sat at the piano and sang a classic spiritual song which came out of an trial God had allowed him to go through. His wife had rejected his lifestyle and their marriage. The rejection he felt that day gave way to the work of the Spirit of God in his heart. The void that was left when his wife walked out was filled by the work of the Spirit of God. And that day Dr. Charles Weigle penned the words and music to one of the greatest songs ever written, “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus.” Not only did that song bless Dr. Weigle’s heart but it has comforted and blessed millions of people down through the years.

One of the saddest things I notice in churches today is that songs like this are omitted in the worship. I have sung that song many, many times and it never gets old. I always remember how God walked through the valley with this godly preacher and brought him out on the other side. It’s an encouragement to me that when I’m in a valley, God is fitting me according to His plan.

When I read many of the Psalms I realize that the godly man who is known as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) faced valleys also. Psalm 143 was written at a time of depression in his life. Adam Clark’s Commentary states “The Hebrew and all the Versions attribute this Psalm to David; and the Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic and Arabic state that it was composed on the rebellion of his son Absalom: nor is there any thing in the Psalm that positively disagrees with this inscription.”

As I stated earlier I know of no more rejection than that of a child. Absalom not only rejected his father but set out to take his throne from him. I don’t think any of us can totally place ourselves in the sandals of David. All we can do is try to follow the thoughts of this Psalm and try to see David as he conquers, as God brings him out of this dark valley.

Are you in a valley today? Are you overwhelmed with discouragement, depression or defeat? Can I pray with you over the valley you’re in? Send me a message on fb and I’ll hold you up to the Lord at this time. Please submit to God work in your life. Remember, He’s fitting you for “up there.”

In the next few weeks I’ll deal with how David responds to the work of God. We can truly learn from this Psalm.

That’s my view; how about you?