Philippians 1 :21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
I started my walk with the Lord in 1948 as a 8 year old lad. God had been using many people in my life to bring me to the place where I knew I was lost and without hope of spending eternity with Christ. The Holy Spirit worked in my life and after a Wednesday evening prayer service I placed my faith in the work of Christ on Calvary and was gloriously saved. The Christian walk has taken many turns in my life, but it has been an exciting journey. God has led me in some ways that I would never have gone by my own wisdom, but I have found that His way is always the best. In his book entitled Be Strong Dr. Warren Wiersbe wrote “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. When we run ahead of the Lord, we usually rob ourselves and hurt others.”
As I have been re-reading the book of Joshua, I again was reminded that Achan was an example of that thought. If he had obeyed God, he would have saved his life, the lives of his family, and would have been able to enjoy what he thought he had to have at that moment. Achan could have enjoyed the spoils of Ai with the rest of the nation of Israel.
We need to learn to walk in step with the Lord. Last week we noticed that the walk of the believer is PERSONAL. In this weeks “Challenging Concepts” we notice another thought about the walk of the believer:
THE WALK OF THE BELIEVER IS PRACTICAL – Notice the phrase “For me to live.”
There is no doubt that the Apostle Paul lived for the Lord. That was his purpose and goal in life. All he did revolved around living and preaching the gospel. He even moved from place to place looking for new places to spread the “good news” to all he could. But, not everyone is called to “preach,” even though we all are called to “proclaim” the same “good news”, Paul preached. So, how does “For me to live” apply to everyone?
1. There must be DEPENDENCE on Christ – Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
When does this dependence starts? It starts with ACCEPTANCE. You must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour – John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Salvation is not the end, it’s the beginning. This is where a person’s walk as a believer starts. Are you sure you have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ?
The next thing that happens is ALTERATION – II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away behold all things are become new.” When a person is born again there is a change in a person’s life. If there was ever anyone whose life was changed it was Saul of Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul. He went from a PERSECUTOR of the gospel to a PREACHER of the gospel.
That same change should have been made in our lives. I’m not always what I should be, but I’m not what I was before I was saved. There has been a definite change in my life. What about you? The change is not of our doings but is by the grace of God. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Thank God for His grace that changes our lives.
2. There must be DEMONSTRATION of Christ-likeness - Philippians 4:12-13 “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Paul knew that the walk of the believer was not always a “bed of roses.” He had made his choice and whatever God had for him was fine and dandy. He was open to anything God wanted for his life. I like what Dr. Warren Wiersbe wrote in his book Be Strong “The will of God comes from the heart of God (Psa 33:11), and He delights to make it known to His children when He knows they are humble and willing to obey.”
The question comes now, “Are we willing to demonstrate that we are a believer and we are walking the walk and not just talking the talk.
How does a person walk the walk? Is it possible? Do we have to be really disciplined in order to do so? Those are good questions, but again it’s not because a person is disciplined and yes it is possible.
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
The word “both” means that God is working in the life of the believer to do two things. First, the two words “to will” means that God gives the individual the desire or will to do what He wants, and in this case it’s to walk the walk of the believer.
Secondly, the two words “to do” means that God gives the individual the power or ability to walk the walk of the believer.
When you put both these thoughts together you realize that the walk of the believer is possible because Christ is the One who lives through us as we yield our lives to Him. What a comfort it is to know that the walk of the believer does not depend upon us. It depends on Christ as we allow Him to control our life.
The practicality of the believer’s walk does not stop with dependence and demonstration. There is one last thought I would like to make:
3. There must be DECLARATION of Christ – I Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
No one ever got saved by watching a believer’s walk. There comes a time when you have to share the gospel with them. Your walk demonstrates there is something different about your life, but you must explain what made and continues to make a difference in you.
If we follow the life of the Apostle Paul in the Word of God you see that he was ready to witness at the “drop of the hat.” He told what happened to him on the road to Damascus time and time again.
Paul declared the gospel in I Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
What kind of witness are we? What do we really declare. John White said: “A good witness isn't like a salesman, emphasis is on a person rather than a product. A good witness is like a signpost. It doesn't matter whether it is old, young, pretty, ugly; it has to point the right direction and be able to be understood. We are witnesses to Christ, we point to him.”
Are we ready to give an answer to the hope within us? Are we taking advantage of the opportunities we have to witness for the Lord? This is all part of the practicality of the believer’s walk.
The walk of the believer is a very practical issue. I trust we are growing in our walk as a believer.
I will give more thoughts of the believer's walk in the "Challenging Concepts" next week.
That’s my view; how about you:)
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
THE CHRISTIAN WALK – Pt 1
Philippians 1 :21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
This is one of the most challenging verses in the entire Bible. For the unbeliever to see the statement “to die is gain” blows their mind. How do you gain by dying? The lost world does not understand it nor do many believers embrace it. But Paul had come to that conclusion in the circumstance he was facing.
Paul had gone through some very terrible times, or we might call them “dark valleys” as I did in the last four “Challenging Concepts.” Yet, in all these trials he made a tremendous declaration about his goals and purposes in life.
The wording of verse 21 gives us a peek into what Paul thought about the Christian life. Paul was not some super action figure and the Christian life is no fairy tale. The walk of the believer is PERSONAL, PRACTICAL, POSSIBLE and PROFOUND. And as we will see in the next few blogs, they apply to us in the same way they applied to the Apostle Paul. Stay with me for the next three weeks as we look at the walk of the believer.
THE WALK OF THE BELIEVER IS PERSONAL – We understand this from the two words “for me.” In these two words we understand that verse 21 is a PERSONAL message to a PERSONAL individual.
1. The Christian walk involves CONVERSION – You can’t walk the Christian walk without first being a Christian. You have to be saved. And that is something that each individual has to face for themselves. The Christian walk is not something that somebody else can do for you. Paul says “for me.”
Notice what Paul also wrote in Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
The biblical “heart” is made up of the MIND, EMOTIONS and WILL. With your mind you have to know you are a sinner (Rom 3:10, 23) and deserve hell (Rom 6:23), but that Jesus went to the cross and paid sin’s debt for you individually (Rom 5:8). You must also know that He rose from the grave on the third day and is today seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father. You must know that the Holy Spirit now works to convict of your need of salvation. This work of the Holy Spirit draws (Jn 6:44) and you must make a choice. To be saved you must exercise your will and make the choice to receive Christ as your personal Savior.
Unless you are converted you can’t walk as a Christian.
2. The Christian walk involves CONVICTION – Again, Paul says “for me.” Paul is implying that he has made a choice. Others may do what they choose but he has chosen to live for the Lord.
Paul had always acted in a way he thought was pleasing to God. He was very religious. Notice what we read in Acts 23:6 “. . . he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”
Paul did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah and did everything in his power to resist the followers of this man. You can see the zeal with which he acted in Acts 9:1-2 “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”
As Paul’s journey got close to Damascus he came face to face with an experience that changed his life forever. Notice what we read in Acts 9:3-6 “. . . suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said Who art thou Lord? And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said/ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?. . .”
Paul came face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. He realized the One he was persecuting was truly the Messiah they had been looking for. He called Him “Lord.” There on that road he was converted. And notice the very next thing that happened was he said “what wilt thou have me to do?” He submitted to His Lordship. There was a conviction about what his life was going to be. He was going to walk with Jesus.
Paul begged others to make Christ the Lord of their life as he had done. Notice how he put it in Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s desire was that we walk the same walk as he had done.
3. The Christian walk involves CONTINUATION – Paul said “and to die.” This is an indication that Paul had no idea of quitting. He was in the Christian walk for the long haul. If you follow the life of the Apostle you find no quitting, slowing down or shrinking his duty. He was called by God and his feeling about that calling is documented in Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” The commitment Paul had made took him on three missionary journeys, through persecutions, shipwreck, jail and finally to his death. There was never any thought of turning back on God’s call for his life.
It would be fantastic if believers today had that same commitment to the end. I have seen so many people who said they had a certain calling but failed to finish the ministry God had for them.
I remember talking with a missionary who said he had been called to preach the gospel to the precious people of Germany. He had been going through some hardships and he had decided to leave the field and go back to America. I tried to remind him that God was sovereign and the trials he was facing was a part of God’s plan for his life (Rom 8:28). My counsel was not heeded. He did leave the country of Germany and took a secular job in the U.S.
I remember discussing this with my wife and she said “Where is God in his life?” She was right. He could not see God in his hardships at all. Paul faced more hardships than anybody I know, but he continued in ministry through them all of his hardships. We should do the same.
In next week’s “Challenging Concepts” we will examine THE WALK OF THE BELIEVER IS PRACTICAL.
That’s my view; how about you?
This is one of the most challenging verses in the entire Bible. For the unbeliever to see the statement “to die is gain” blows their mind. How do you gain by dying? The lost world does not understand it nor do many believers embrace it. But Paul had come to that conclusion in the circumstance he was facing.
Paul had gone through some very terrible times, or we might call them “dark valleys” as I did in the last four “Challenging Concepts.” Yet, in all these trials he made a tremendous declaration about his goals and purposes in life.
The wording of verse 21 gives us a peek into what Paul thought about the Christian life. Paul was not some super action figure and the Christian life is no fairy tale. The walk of the believer is PERSONAL, PRACTICAL, POSSIBLE and PROFOUND. And as we will see in the next few blogs, they apply to us in the same way they applied to the Apostle Paul. Stay with me for the next three weeks as we look at the walk of the believer.
THE WALK OF THE BELIEVER IS PERSONAL – We understand this from the two words “for me.” In these two words we understand that verse 21 is a PERSONAL message to a PERSONAL individual.
1. The Christian walk involves CONVERSION – You can’t walk the Christian walk without first being a Christian. You have to be saved. And that is something that each individual has to face for themselves. The Christian walk is not something that somebody else can do for you. Paul says “for me.”
Notice what Paul also wrote in Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
The biblical “heart” is made up of the MIND, EMOTIONS and WILL. With your mind you have to know you are a sinner (Rom 3:10, 23) and deserve hell (Rom 6:23), but that Jesus went to the cross and paid sin’s debt for you individually (Rom 5:8). You must also know that He rose from the grave on the third day and is today seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father. You must know that the Holy Spirit now works to convict of your need of salvation. This work of the Holy Spirit draws (Jn 6:44) and you must make a choice. To be saved you must exercise your will and make the choice to receive Christ as your personal Savior.
Unless you are converted you can’t walk as a Christian.
2. The Christian walk involves CONVICTION – Again, Paul says “for me.” Paul is implying that he has made a choice. Others may do what they choose but he has chosen to live for the Lord.
Paul had always acted in a way he thought was pleasing to God. He was very religious. Notice what we read in Acts 23:6 “. . . he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”
Paul did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah and did everything in his power to resist the followers of this man. You can see the zeal with which he acted in Acts 9:1-2 “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”
As Paul’s journey got close to Damascus he came face to face with an experience that changed his life forever. Notice what we read in Acts 9:3-6 “. . . suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said Who art thou Lord? And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said/ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?. . .”
Paul came face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. He realized the One he was persecuting was truly the Messiah they had been looking for. He called Him “Lord.” There on that road he was converted. And notice the very next thing that happened was he said “what wilt thou have me to do?” He submitted to His Lordship. There was a conviction about what his life was going to be. He was going to walk with Jesus.
Paul begged others to make Christ the Lord of their life as he had done. Notice how he put it in Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s desire was that we walk the same walk as he had done.
3. The Christian walk involves CONTINUATION – Paul said “and to die.” This is an indication that Paul had no idea of quitting. He was in the Christian walk for the long haul. If you follow the life of the Apostle you find no quitting, slowing down or shrinking his duty. He was called by God and his feeling about that calling is documented in Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” The commitment Paul had made took him on three missionary journeys, through persecutions, shipwreck, jail and finally to his death. There was never any thought of turning back on God’s call for his life.
It would be fantastic if believers today had that same commitment to the end. I have seen so many people who said they had a certain calling but failed to finish the ministry God had for them.
I remember talking with a missionary who said he had been called to preach the gospel to the precious people of Germany. He had been going through some hardships and he had decided to leave the field and go back to America. I tried to remind him that God was sovereign and the trials he was facing was a part of God’s plan for his life (Rom 8:28). My counsel was not heeded. He did leave the country of Germany and took a secular job in the U.S.
I remember discussing this with my wife and she said “Where is God in his life?” She was right. He could not see God in his hardships at all. Paul faced more hardships than anybody I know, but he continued in ministry through them all of his hardships. We should do the same.
In next week’s “Challenging Concepts” we will examine THE WALK OF THE BELIEVER IS PRACTICAL.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, November 15, 2010
CONQUERING LIFE=S VALLEYS – Pt 4
Psalm 143:1-12 “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. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust, cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.”
As we come to the last blog from Psalm 143 I trust this has been a blessing to many. It’s amazing how few comments I receive from my writings, but I hear from some who have been blessed. For that I’m very thankful. I realize my time here at the computer is not all wasted.
We have walked with David in the dark valley of his life. We have notice that THE VALLEY MAY BE FILLED WITH PAIN. You can tell my his words that he is grieved over the action of his son. He is depressed, discouraged and even in despair. But we have noticed also that THE VALLEY WILL BE FILLED WITH PEARLS. I had a note this week from a lady talking about the pearls in her life.
This week we are going to notice that THE VALLEY WILL HAVE A PATH to victory. David will show us what he did to overcome that discouragement, depression and despair. How do you get out of the valley? Let’s notice what David has to say.
1. We have victory THROUGH PRAYER – notice verse 1 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness." Notice verse 6 "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah." In this dry, parched and dark time in his life, David cried out to God.
Notice verse 8, 11-12, "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; . . . Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies . . . Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant."
Think about David’s circumstances. He was in a holding pattern. He was waiting and there was nothing he could do to alleviate his pain and hurt. So he cries out to God. The Bible doesn’t tell us how long he prayed. It might have been a long, long time. If it was, I’m sure he wanted to quit praying, but he didn’t.
Have you ever been there? If you’re like me you probably have. Waiting on God is not easy, but we’re commanded to continue to pray. We read in I Thessalonians 5;17 APray without ceasing.@ Notice also what is written in Romans 12:12 "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"
Notice the words “continuing instant.” These two words mean to be “earnest toward” and to “persevere diligently and continually” in prayer as you wait on the Lord for the answer.
Remember, God has promised to answer our prayers. We read in Isaiah 65:24 "And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear." It may not appear that the answer is already on the way, but God has promised. We read also in John 16:23, ". . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." Notice also Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."
It is our duty to pray. We must pray when God says “yes”; pray when God says “no” and even pray when God says “wait.” We should keep on praying. God is still on the throne. It is our duty to pray but it’s more than just a duty; it’s the path out of the valleys in our life.
2. We have victory THROUGH PRAISE (worship) – Notice verse 10 "Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; . . ."
This is a sad Psalm. You can see the sadness of the circumstance he is in, but David still praises. God is good.
When you and I are in a valley, we need to remember this. In fact, we need to adopt this attitude of praise and worship.
When I think of a dark valley in a person’s life, I think of Job. He was in a terrible valley. Job lost his business, personnel, children, health and the support of his wife. You can’t think of much else that could happen to a person. But notice what we read in Job 1:20-22 "Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." He praised and worshipped the Lord. What a spiritual giant!
Someone has said “If we can't praise in valley; we have no right to praise on the mountaintop – God is sovereign in both places.”
When I’m going through a rough time; when the valley seems the darkest, what can I praise Him for? Notice Luke 10:20, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The valleys can’t take away your salvation. That’s something to praise the Lord about.
I’ll not expound on them but let me give you a couple of thoughts about praise:
He Is Worthy (Rev 4:11)
It Will Help You (Neh 8:10; Prov 17:22)
3. We have victory THROUGH PRACTICE - Notice verses 8-10 "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust, cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."
David had gone through some hard times. He may have struggled a little bit in his faith and trust, but down deep David had always wanted to do the will of God. That had been his desire.
That should be our goal also. Even when we go through dark valley experiences, know that God is in control and what we are facing had to cross His desk for approval. Every experience is designed to make us stronger people. One of my facebook friends, Tomas Edward Bowen wrote “It is not God’s will for us to live weakly and die feebly, so, He allows afflictions to come and strengthen and mature us.”
David shows us the path out of a dark valley: Prayer, Praise, and Practice. There is no situation in our life but that God will lead us through and out. Dr. Warren Wiersbe says “. . . we have the Word of God before us and the Spirit of God within us; and God will direct us if we wait patiently before Him.”
When we fail to walk in God’s path: (1) It’s DISHONORING to Him; (2) It’s DISCOURAGING to our heart. You can’t beat the circumstances! Don’t let it beat you!
That’s my view; how about you?
As we come to the last blog from Psalm 143 I trust this has been a blessing to many. It’s amazing how few comments I receive from my writings, but I hear from some who have been blessed. For that I’m very thankful. I realize my time here at the computer is not all wasted.
We have walked with David in the dark valley of his life. We have notice that THE VALLEY MAY BE FILLED WITH PAIN. You can tell my his words that he is grieved over the action of his son. He is depressed, discouraged and even in despair. But we have noticed also that THE VALLEY WILL BE FILLED WITH PEARLS. I had a note this week from a lady talking about the pearls in her life.
This week we are going to notice that THE VALLEY WILL HAVE A PATH to victory. David will show us what he did to overcome that discouragement, depression and despair. How do you get out of the valley? Let’s notice what David has to say.
1. We have victory THROUGH PRAYER – notice verse 1 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness." Notice verse 6 "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah." In this dry, parched and dark time in his life, David cried out to God.
Notice verse 8, 11-12, "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; . . . Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies . . . Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant."
Think about David’s circumstances. He was in a holding pattern. He was waiting and there was nothing he could do to alleviate his pain and hurt. So he cries out to God. The Bible doesn’t tell us how long he prayed. It might have been a long, long time. If it was, I’m sure he wanted to quit praying, but he didn’t.
Have you ever been there? If you’re like me you probably have. Waiting on God is not easy, but we’re commanded to continue to pray. We read in I Thessalonians 5;17 APray without ceasing.@ Notice also what is written in Romans 12:12 "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"
Notice the words “continuing instant.” These two words mean to be “earnest toward” and to “persevere diligently and continually” in prayer as you wait on the Lord for the answer.
Remember, God has promised to answer our prayers. We read in Isaiah 65:24 "And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear." It may not appear that the answer is already on the way, but God has promised. We read also in John 16:23, ". . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." Notice also Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."
It is our duty to pray. We must pray when God says “yes”; pray when God says “no” and even pray when God says “wait.” We should keep on praying. God is still on the throne. It is our duty to pray but it’s more than just a duty; it’s the path out of the valleys in our life.
2. We have victory THROUGH PRAISE (worship) – Notice verse 10 "Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; . . ."
This is a sad Psalm. You can see the sadness of the circumstance he is in, but David still praises. God is good.
When you and I are in a valley, we need to remember this. In fact, we need to adopt this attitude of praise and worship.
When I think of a dark valley in a person’s life, I think of Job. He was in a terrible valley. Job lost his business, personnel, children, health and the support of his wife. You can’t think of much else that could happen to a person. But notice what we read in Job 1:20-22 "Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." He praised and worshipped the Lord. What a spiritual giant!
Someone has said “If we can't praise in valley; we have no right to praise on the mountaintop – God is sovereign in both places.”
When I’m going through a rough time; when the valley seems the darkest, what can I praise Him for? Notice Luke 10:20, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The valleys can’t take away your salvation. That’s something to praise the Lord about.
I’ll not expound on them but let me give you a couple of thoughts about praise:
He Is Worthy (Rev 4:11)
It Will Help You (Neh 8:10; Prov 17:22)
3. We have victory THROUGH PRACTICE - Notice verses 8-10 "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust, cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."
David had gone through some hard times. He may have struggled a little bit in his faith and trust, but down deep David had always wanted to do the will of God. That had been his desire.
That should be our goal also. Even when we go through dark valley experiences, know that God is in control and what we are facing had to cross His desk for approval. Every experience is designed to make us stronger people. One of my facebook friends, Tomas Edward Bowen wrote “It is not God’s will for us to live weakly and die feebly, so, He allows afflictions to come and strengthen and mature us.”
David shows us the path out of a dark valley: Prayer, Praise, and Practice. There is no situation in our life but that God will lead us through and out. Dr. Warren Wiersbe says “. . . we have the Word of God before us and the Spirit of God within us; and God will direct us if we wait patiently before Him.”
When we fail to walk in God’s path: (1) It’s DISHONORING to Him; (2) It’s DISCOURAGING to our heart. You can’t beat the circumstances! Don’t let it beat you!
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, November 8, 2010
CONQUERING LIFE=S VALLEYS – Pt 3
Psalm 143:1-12 “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.”
In our last two “Challenging Concepts” we have looked at a time in the life of David when he was in the midst of a dark valley. He was running from his own son who hd turned his back on his father, and had set out to take his throne from him. David was discouraged, depressed and had come to a place where he did not even want to go on in his life. David was really hurting.
As I have mentioned before, there are many people today who are facing times of hurting in their life. They may not have faced something like this in their life, now they are going through the valley of unknown. One of my wife’s and my favorite preacher, Dr. Charles Stanley, said “As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you.” Oh, what a wonderful thought. Just to realize that Jesus is with us and going before us, brings comfort to our hearts.
In Psalm 143 we have noticed that THE VALLEY MAY BE FILLED WITH PAIN. Now we want to see that the THE VALLEY WILL BE FILLED WITH PEARLS.
We may not see them at the beginning, and we may not even see them during the valley experience, but there are benefits of going through valleys. We will gain PEARLS of great price. What are they? Let me list a few:
1. There is a time of REPENTANCE – Notice verse 2 "And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."
When a person is going through a valley experience in his life, he usually begins to wonder if he has committed some kind of sin that is causing this valley. He begins to reflect upon his attitudes and actions. There is a time of cleansing as he asks the Lord to reveal things in his life that are wrong. This is good. There may be some sin in a person’s life, that sin may not be the reason for the valley.
If there was anyone who knew what sin could do in a person’s life, it was David. Notice what we read in Psalm 32:1-4, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence (about my sin and did not confess it) my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah."
What a terrible picture of what sin can bring upon a person. David is affected physically. He has become weak bodily. Conviction is upon him in a mighty way. He knows it. He knows what he is going through is from the crushing hand of God, but he does not confess. He may be silent when it comes to confession but he is moaning like a wounded animal because of his sorrow. Because of his sin, he is under a tremendous amount of conviction but has gone a whole year without confession.
Notice what David wrote about this in Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" The word “regard” means that after seeing your actions as God sees it, you continue to cherish that sin. When a person realizes sin in his life, he must confess it. We read in I John 1:9 AIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.@
As I stated earlier, sin may not be the cause of the valley but when we reflect upon our attitudes and actions, God will usually point out some sin. And when it is pointed out by the work of the Spirit of God and we confess it, that is a benefit to our valley, and a beautiful pearl.
2. There is a time of REMEMBRANCE – notice verse 5, "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands."
David had much to remember. God had done so much in the life of this individual. Even as a young man God had given him the strength and ability to kill the lion and a bear. He was also with David when odds were aginst him on the battlefield against the Philistines. God used David to kill that giant and gain the victory for the army of Israel. David had so much to remember in his own personal life. And, God had done so much for the nation of Israel.
Even when going through this dark valley, David reviewed his life and he saw how God had worked in his life. Then he turned to the Word of God and it refreshed his heart.
I’ve talked to many people who were going through a dark valley and testify that at that time Satan attacked them. That’s how he works. He did that with Eve in the garden and he still uses that tactic today. He will tell you that the reason for this valley is that there is sin in your life. He will tell you that God has forsaken you. That is a lie. God has said in Hebrews 11:5 “. . . I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
It’s when you are going through a valley (trial) you must look back and remember the goodness of God, a beautiful pearl.
3. There must be a time of RELIANCE – Notice what we read in verse 6 “I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.”
David is giving a picture of a dry, parched and cracked ground which is longing for some refreshing rain from above. The earth is thirsty and opens it’s mouth crying out for God’s help. This is the way the Psalmist feels as he is in the midst of this dark valley. His soul is longing for refreshment from the showers of blessings which only God can provide.
David says that he stretches forth his hands unto God. The idea here is that of a prisoner who is bound. He feels as if he’s a bound prisoner in this circumstance that he’s going through and knows that only God can help him at this time. But you can see that David is not only stretching forth his hands but he’s stretching forth his heart also. You can sense David’s heart as he writes.
David understood that he couldn’t do anything himself to produce the answer to his need. The only place for David to turn was to God. He had to rely on Him and he did.
When you are in a dark valley you feel as if you are at the end of yourself. You are in a BIG VALLEY so you need a BIG GOD. This is where the wise counsel of Proverbs 3:5-6 comes in: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
In a valley you need direction. You need guidance. This is a time when you can make mistakes. In a dark valley you are very emotional and your emotions can drive you to acting in haste. You can react to the circumstance instead of responding. (Remember: reaction is a work of the flesh while responding is a fruit of the Spirit.)
The valley in your life is not an accident. God has a purpose in allowing you to experience this valley or trial. Remember what Paul wrote in
Romans 8:28, "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." As I usually say, “the valley experiences are for our good” and my wife always adds, “and for God’s glory.” Another beautiful pearl.
We must see the valley for what it really is. It’s a time of repentance, remembrance and reliance. We usually think that no one has experienced what we are going through, but in light of eternity, our suffering is nothing compared to what our Savior went through. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:17, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;"
Dark valleys are terrible. They are full of pain and suffering. But on the other side of the coin, valleys are valuable. These are times when we learn eternal truths about God. They are also times when our faith is energized and strengthened.
Motivational speaker Denis Witley writes “When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb.” Just as pearls are made by an oyster caused by a hurtful grain of sand, we also can turn hurts into beautiful lives if we respond to God in the valleys. We will grow and God will be glorified. Remember these pearls of wisdom and beauty.
What is the goal of the believer? The goal is to glorify God in and with your life. Can you do that in a dark valley? You bet you can. Next week we’ll look at the PATH out of the valley. There is a way out. God has it and David shows us in this passage.
That’s my view; how about you?
In our last two “Challenging Concepts” we have looked at a time in the life of David when he was in the midst of a dark valley. He was running from his own son who hd turned his back on his father, and had set out to take his throne from him. David was discouraged, depressed and had come to a place where he did not even want to go on in his life. David was really hurting.
As I have mentioned before, there are many people today who are facing times of hurting in their life. They may not have faced something like this in their life, now they are going through the valley of unknown. One of my wife’s and my favorite preacher, Dr. Charles Stanley, said “As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you.” Oh, what a wonderful thought. Just to realize that Jesus is with us and going before us, brings comfort to our hearts.
In Psalm 143 we have noticed that THE VALLEY MAY BE FILLED WITH PAIN. Now we want to see that the THE VALLEY WILL BE FILLED WITH PEARLS.
We may not see them at the beginning, and we may not even see them during the valley experience, but there are benefits of going through valleys. We will gain PEARLS of great price. What are they? Let me list a few:
1. There is a time of REPENTANCE – Notice verse 2 "And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."
When a person is going through a valley experience in his life, he usually begins to wonder if he has committed some kind of sin that is causing this valley. He begins to reflect upon his attitudes and actions. There is a time of cleansing as he asks the Lord to reveal things in his life that are wrong. This is good. There may be some sin in a person’s life, that sin may not be the reason for the valley.
If there was anyone who knew what sin could do in a person’s life, it was David. Notice what we read in Psalm 32:1-4, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence (about my sin and did not confess it) my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah."
What a terrible picture of what sin can bring upon a person. David is affected physically. He has become weak bodily. Conviction is upon him in a mighty way. He knows it. He knows what he is going through is from the crushing hand of God, but he does not confess. He may be silent when it comes to confession but he is moaning like a wounded animal because of his sorrow. Because of his sin, he is under a tremendous amount of conviction but has gone a whole year without confession.
Notice what David wrote about this in Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" The word “regard” means that after seeing your actions as God sees it, you continue to cherish that sin. When a person realizes sin in his life, he must confess it. We read in I John 1:9 AIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.@
As I stated earlier, sin may not be the cause of the valley but when we reflect upon our attitudes and actions, God will usually point out some sin. And when it is pointed out by the work of the Spirit of God and we confess it, that is a benefit to our valley, and a beautiful pearl.
2. There is a time of REMEMBRANCE – notice verse 5, "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands."
David had much to remember. God had done so much in the life of this individual. Even as a young man God had given him the strength and ability to kill the lion and a bear. He was also with David when odds were aginst him on the battlefield against the Philistines. God used David to kill that giant and gain the victory for the army of Israel. David had so much to remember in his own personal life. And, God had done so much for the nation of Israel.
Even when going through this dark valley, David reviewed his life and he saw how God had worked in his life. Then he turned to the Word of God and it refreshed his heart.
I’ve talked to many people who were going through a dark valley and testify that at that time Satan attacked them. That’s how he works. He did that with Eve in the garden and he still uses that tactic today. He will tell you that the reason for this valley is that there is sin in your life. He will tell you that God has forsaken you. That is a lie. God has said in Hebrews 11:5 “. . . I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
It’s when you are going through a valley (trial) you must look back and remember the goodness of God, a beautiful pearl.
3. There must be a time of RELIANCE – Notice what we read in verse 6 “I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.”
David is giving a picture of a dry, parched and cracked ground which is longing for some refreshing rain from above. The earth is thirsty and opens it’s mouth crying out for God’s help. This is the way the Psalmist feels as he is in the midst of this dark valley. His soul is longing for refreshment from the showers of blessings which only God can provide.
David says that he stretches forth his hands unto God. The idea here is that of a prisoner who is bound. He feels as if he’s a bound prisoner in this circumstance that he’s going through and knows that only God can help him at this time. But you can see that David is not only stretching forth his hands but he’s stretching forth his heart also. You can sense David’s heart as he writes.
David understood that he couldn’t do anything himself to produce the answer to his need. The only place for David to turn was to God. He had to rely on Him and he did.
When you are in a dark valley you feel as if you are at the end of yourself. You are in a BIG VALLEY so you need a BIG GOD. This is where the wise counsel of Proverbs 3:5-6 comes in: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
In a valley you need direction. You need guidance. This is a time when you can make mistakes. In a dark valley you are very emotional and your emotions can drive you to acting in haste. You can react to the circumstance instead of responding. (Remember: reaction is a work of the flesh while responding is a fruit of the Spirit.)
The valley in your life is not an accident. God has a purpose in allowing you to experience this valley or trial. Remember what Paul wrote in
Romans 8:28, "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." As I usually say, “the valley experiences are for our good” and my wife always adds, “and for God’s glory.” Another beautiful pearl.
We must see the valley for what it really is. It’s a time of repentance, remembrance and reliance. We usually think that no one has experienced what we are going through, but in light of eternity, our suffering is nothing compared to what our Savior went through. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:17, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;"
Dark valleys are terrible. They are full of pain and suffering. But on the other side of the coin, valleys are valuable. These are times when we learn eternal truths about God. They are also times when our faith is energized and strengthened.
Motivational speaker Denis Witley writes “When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb.” Just as pearls are made by an oyster caused by a hurtful grain of sand, we also can turn hurts into beautiful lives if we respond to God in the valleys. We will grow and God will be glorified. Remember these pearls of wisdom and beauty.
What is the goal of the believer? The goal is to glorify God in and with your life. Can you do that in a dark valley? You bet you can. Next week we’ll look at the PATH out of the valley. There is a way out. God has it and David shows us in this passage.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, November 1, 2010
CONQUERING LIFE'S VALLEYS – Pt 2
Psalm 143:1-7 “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. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.”
Last week we began to examine a time in David’s life when he was going through a dark time. It was a time that his son Absalom had turned his back on him and David was fleeing for his life. I can see David as he is holed up in one of the many caves in the region, looking out at the stars of the night feeling sorry for himself. He is probably at one of the lowest times in his entire life.
Former President Richard M. Nixon, who knew what a dark valley was like, once said: “Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.”
Let’s focus in on David’s feelings at this time.
THE VALLEY CAN BE FILLED WITH PAIN
The valley in the life of the child of God can have a variety of pains. Some of those may be deep and dark while others may be light. But no matter what kind of valley you find yourself in, it will bring with it hurts. Notice verse 3 of our text "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." Notice the phrase “he hath made me to dwell in darkness.”
David faced the valley of DARKNESS. David couldn’t seem to realize there was any help in this valley. His son had rebelled against him. His beloved Absalom had turned his back on him. Even Ahithophel, a very wise counselor also joined Absalom in this revolt. We read in Psalm 41:9 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."
When you look at what’s going on here there seems to be no end to the pain. As someone has said “The only light at the end of the tunnel is a freight train running full throttle.”The sad thing is that there are many people at this place in their life.
David faced the valley of DEPRESSION. Notice verse 4, "Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; (notice this last part.) my heart within me is desolate." David had a desolate heart. The word “desolate” means “stunned.” He can’t believe what’s happening to him. He is totally astonished with his circumstance and doesn’t even have the heart to go on. David is not usually a quitter, but at this point he doesn’t want to go through what he’s facing.
The word “overwhelmed” means “shrouded.” David no longer has heart. He is covered in depression. As with most people who are depressed, he probably was like a walking Zombie. He probably had no desire to do the smallest tasks.
I believe there are many today who walk in this same condition. They are stumbling along in this dark valley of depression and have just about lost the desire to go on in their circumstance. Is that you? Do you know someone in this situation?
I remember a time in my ministry that there was a lady who was depressed. After counseling with her, my wife got her involved in ministry with others and to others and before long she was doing much better. This ministry got her focus off herself and on others. That’s not the total cure, but it is part of the solution.
David faced the valley of DESPAIR. Notice verse 7 "Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit." David not only has about lost heart but now he sees NO HOPE.
The word “faileth” means “at the end.” He has about reached the end of his rope. He feels as if God doesn’t lift this veil of darkness that he’s in, he’s no better off than those who perish in hell. You talk about a person in despair, we have it here in the life of this special servant of Jehovah. It’s hard to believe where David is at this time in his life.
There are those today who find themselves in this same valley. They find themselves in a “pit” also. You may think that life is unbearable, but there is reason to rejoice because there is hope. You may not see or feel it, but there’s always hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you know of someone who is in this type of circumstance, tell them there is hope. We read in Matthew 19:26 “. . . With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Why is the valley necessary? It’s in the valley that God teaches us certain lessons. My wife and I have seen some dark valleys in our lives. Oh, they may not have been as severe as the one David is facing, but they were dark just the same. We would not want to experience those valleys again, but we have to say that it was in the valleys that God taught us certain lessons and brought us out better people and Christians.
Notice what we read in Psalm 66:10-12 “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
We may not like the dark valley, but we sure do like the “wealthy place.” The “wealthy place” is always at the end of the valley. In next week’s “Challenging Concepts” I will share some of those truths that a person learns going through those valleys.
G. K. Chesterton wrote “One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peaks.”
We want to live on the mountain tops, but valleys are the teacher for our growth. In fact, remember that there would be no mountain peaks without the valleys.
That’s my view; how about you?
Last week we began to examine a time in David’s life when he was going through a dark time. It was a time that his son Absalom had turned his back on him and David was fleeing for his life. I can see David as he is holed up in one of the many caves in the region, looking out at the stars of the night feeling sorry for himself. He is probably at one of the lowest times in his entire life.
Former President Richard M. Nixon, who knew what a dark valley was like, once said: “Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.”
Let’s focus in on David’s feelings at this time.
THE VALLEY CAN BE FILLED WITH PAIN
The valley in the life of the child of God can have a variety of pains. Some of those may be deep and dark while others may be light. But no matter what kind of valley you find yourself in, it will bring with it hurts. Notice verse 3 of our text "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." Notice the phrase “he hath made me to dwell in darkness.”
David faced the valley of DARKNESS. David couldn’t seem to realize there was any help in this valley. His son had rebelled against him. His beloved Absalom had turned his back on him. Even Ahithophel, a very wise counselor also joined Absalom in this revolt. We read in Psalm 41:9 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."
When you look at what’s going on here there seems to be no end to the pain. As someone has said “The only light at the end of the tunnel is a freight train running full throttle.”The sad thing is that there are many people at this place in their life.
David faced the valley of DEPRESSION. Notice verse 4, "Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; (notice this last part.) my heart within me is desolate." David had a desolate heart. The word “desolate” means “stunned.” He can’t believe what’s happening to him. He is totally astonished with his circumstance and doesn’t even have the heart to go on. David is not usually a quitter, but at this point he doesn’t want to go through what he’s facing.
The word “overwhelmed” means “shrouded.” David no longer has heart. He is covered in depression. As with most people who are depressed, he probably was like a walking Zombie. He probably had no desire to do the smallest tasks.
I believe there are many today who walk in this same condition. They are stumbling along in this dark valley of depression and have just about lost the desire to go on in their circumstance. Is that you? Do you know someone in this situation?
I remember a time in my ministry that there was a lady who was depressed. After counseling with her, my wife got her involved in ministry with others and to others and before long she was doing much better. This ministry got her focus off herself and on others. That’s not the total cure, but it is part of the solution.
David faced the valley of DESPAIR. Notice verse 7 "Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit." David not only has about lost heart but now he sees NO HOPE.
The word “faileth” means “at the end.” He has about reached the end of his rope. He feels as if God doesn’t lift this veil of darkness that he’s in, he’s no better off than those who perish in hell. You talk about a person in despair, we have it here in the life of this special servant of Jehovah. It’s hard to believe where David is at this time in his life.
There are those today who find themselves in this same valley. They find themselves in a “pit” also. You may think that life is unbearable, but there is reason to rejoice because there is hope. You may not see or feel it, but there’s always hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you know of someone who is in this type of circumstance, tell them there is hope. We read in Matthew 19:26 “. . . With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Why is the valley necessary? It’s in the valley that God teaches us certain lessons. My wife and I have seen some dark valleys in our lives. Oh, they may not have been as severe as the one David is facing, but they were dark just the same. We would not want to experience those valleys again, but we have to say that it was in the valleys that God taught us certain lessons and brought us out better people and Christians.
Notice what we read in Psalm 66:10-12 “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
We may not like the dark valley, but we sure do like the “wealthy place.” The “wealthy place” is always at the end of the valley. In next week’s “Challenging Concepts” I will share some of those truths that a person learns going through those valleys.
G. K. Chesterton wrote “One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peaks.”
We want to live on the mountain tops, but valleys are the teacher for our growth. In fact, remember that there would be no mountain peaks without the valleys.
That’s my view; how about you?
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