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?