Valleys Are For Learning

In the believer’s life in order to climb to the mountain top you must start in the valley!!  Many people love the mountaintop experience, they seem like vacations, in a way, where everything seems to go pretty smooth and you can relax a bit and even unwind and the stress level seems to drop and you may even feel closer to the Lord; your prayers are being answered and the victories over the enemy seem to be easier and you have a new confidence and boldness to continue the fight of faith which seems to be much easier.  It is like being revived, somewhat, like a revival in one’s self, if I can put it that way.  On the mountaintop it seems that is where relief comes from.

Now think of this scenario, a flower is way up on the mountaintop, just hanging out, no storms, no rain, no struggle, just sun, sun and more sun.  What will eventually happen?  The flower will shrivel up and die.  It cannot live without rain and shade, which would be the storms of life.  Believers respond kind of same way, if we never experienced the storms in life which some relate to the valleys, we would not grow and we could easily start taking God for granted and become unprofitable servants.  In the valley, it seems like you have to struggle more because that seems to be where the battle rages and we face difficult circumstances and situations, which I call the storms of life. These should be expected, but are usually not accepted well, where we face persecution from angry people and some of them, sad to say, claim to be believers, and also rejection from friends and even some family members.  Remember Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.

There were times when Jesus went up on the mountaintop and spent time with His Father communing and fellowshipping, but then He came down and spent time ministering to the people and many of the religious people in His day wanted to kill Him and He had done nothing wrong, they were jealous of Him and His popularity.  One of His own disciples betrayed Him and one denied Him and all of them fled when He could have profited from their support.is Father but then He came down and spent time with people and mayHhh hhnnb        

Take the story of Job, I believe He lived on the mountaintop then He hit the wall, so to speak, what we might call the valley in his life and he didn’t like the situation he was in, in fact if you read the book of Job you will see the shock and him being blindsided, so to speak, and his overwhelming grief.  His emotions showed that he was human, but he never lost his faith even when his wife encouraged him to curse God and die.

Read Job 2:9-10, “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Job suffered much pain and also the loss of his kids, he was knocked down physically and emotionally and even spiritually and even though he was struggling he never gave up the faith.  He could have gone two ways, give up and throw in the towel on his faith or press in and trust his God, and that is what he did and he grew in his situation because he wouldn’t give up on God.  In the end Job repents in dust and ashes and his material things are restored and also his family.

Read Job 42:1-9, “Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job.”

God also blessed Job more than before.  Read Job 42:10-17, “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.”

In this process Job really got to know about God and not his preconceptions of who God was!!  When you are in the valley, you learn much more than when you are on the mountaintop.  Do you need to rediscover who God really is?  This is important, “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.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Something to think about and may you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  And don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!

Tyrant

What kind of god do you serve?  Do you serve one that allows you to do your own thing as long as you appease him or is he a god that loves you only when you are doing the right thing?  Or do you serve a god that can never be satisfied no matter what you do, or do you serve the only true God that loves you unconditionally, the God who created the heavens and the earth and all the things that have been created, who loves you so much that when you and I were His enemies He died for us, the innocent for the guilty?  The God I am talking about seeks to have a relationship with us and He is a gracious God.

Read Psalms 103:1-22, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.”

God loves us unconditionally and He is a just God, when a child of God sins He corrects them.  There are many that think He is unjust and unfair and there are far too many rules to follow, so they rebel against God.  But God knows what is best for each of us and that is why there are commandments that we need to follow.  He knows that sin destroys a person, a family and also a nation.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, they lived in perfect harmony with each other in the beautiful garden that God had provided for them.  When God finished creating He said it was good and it was then sin entered into the world and along with it came devastation and it has been affecting civilization ever since the fall.  This is why God has put up boundaries, so to speak, because He knows what sin does.  

If you have read the Bible, you have read the devastation that sin has caused; look at the Israelites and how they wandered in the desert so long because of their rebelliousness and sin.  They were in Egypt because of the same thing, God brings them out and the same thing starts over and over again.  God is not a tyrant and He knew what was best for His people and that is what He wanted for them.  Every time they truly repented they were forgiven and blessed over and over again.  God did not set up these rules to hurt anyone, His purpose was to help them and bless them and set them free from the bondage of sin.  God’s laws are good and in keeping them is great reward.

Read Psalms 19:7-14, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

If you think that God is a kill joy, or a tyrant, He is not; you will only find true peace, happiness and joy if you are a child of God!!  God’s purpose was to prosper us and not to harm us but to give us a hope and a future, praise God!!  He works all things out together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose!!

Enough said I have given you something to think about and I hope this has been a help and an encouragement to you.  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!

Encouragement

I was reading the book of Psalms this morning and I came across a Psalm that should be an encouragement to any believer.  This is Psalm 121:1- 8, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

The author of this Psalm is anonymous but many suggest that it could have been Hezekiah.  Whoever wrote this knew where their help came from and it wasn’t from any other source than the Lord.  You can seek out many other sources but the Lord should always be your first choice.  The Lord doesn’t slumber or sleep and He watches over us at all times, night and day.  Israel was the Lord’s chosen and so are all true believers that are born again.  God loves and watches over all His people, praise the Lord!!  The Lord is the Creator of the heavens and earth and all the rest of what was created and we can trust Him with our lives.  The Lord said that He would never leave us or forsake us and that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Another Psalm you may want to look at and read is Psalms 23:1-6, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

I know this is a familiar Psalm but you may need to be reminded of what it says.  David, who is the author, sees the Lord as a caring shepherd who cares about His sheep, which refers to David and the Lord’s people and He is always there for them regardless of the circumstances or situations to lead them in the right path or direction they should take so He can keep them safe.  David knew a lot about sheep because in his younger days he was a shepherd boy taking care of his father’s sheep, protecting them and watching over them.  Plus, David loved the Lord and experienced His protection on more than one occasion when he was a shepherd boy, so he was speaking out of experience.  Sheep were very stubborn and had to be led or they could end up in deep water and drown or they may wander away from the flock and be easy prey for predators, like lions and other animals, but as long as they stayed close to the shepherd they were safe.

People tend to be very stubborn at times, also, wanting to go their own way and do their own thing and they fall into sin and a snare and are separated from the good Shepherd and then there are consequences that take place, just like the stubborn sheep, until they come back to the good Shepherd and repent of their stubbornness and sins.  That is why it is so important to stay close to the good Shepherd and let Him watch over us and protect us and lead and guide us in paths of righteousness.  We can only have peace when we stay close to the Lord, our good Shepherd.  

David had a lot of enemies so he must have known what I was like to go through the valley of the shadow of death, also, and he also knew the deliverance of the Lord on his life many times, so he could truly say that he feared no evil because he knew that the Lord was with Him, watching over him and he could rest in that fact.  He also knew he would dwell with the Lord forever!  I hope this has been an encouragement.

Do you want that kind of assurance that you will be with the Lord forever? If you are tired of struggling through life on your own and you have a desire to repent and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins (for we all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God), ask Him to come into your heart and life and be the Lord of your life and wash and cleanse you of your sins and make you His child.  If you are sincere, I believe it will take place but don’t be in a hurry, let the Lord fill you with His peace, love and joy then go share what the Lord has done with others and start growing in your faith, thanking and praising the Lord for He is worthy!!  Then go worship with other believers.  I have given you something to think about and may the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!

Deliverer

Jesus teaches about prayer, read Matthew 6:9-13, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Now focus on verse 12, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever!!”  Remember God never tempts us to do evil, but we need to ask God to keep us from the temptations of the evil one, the enemy of our souls.  Read James 1:12-13, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

Read what 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

God will test people at times, but he never tempts people.  Sometimes we are drawn away by our own lust and desires and we fall into sin.  Read James 1:14-15, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.  “He didn’t come to make bad people good, but He came to make dead people live,” a quote from Ravi Zacharias!!  At one time we were all spiritually dead, but He brought life to our mortal bodies when we truly repented of our sins and turned from them, asking His forgiveness.  Jesus quickens our mortal bodies and brings spiritual life to our spiritual dead bodies by His sacrificial death and resurrection and by His blood.  There is no other name by which a man can be saved and delivered but Jesus.  He delivers us and covers us with His righteousness, praise His name!!

Read what it says in Ephesians 2:1-10, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Jesus has delivered us from the grip of sin in our lives so that we need no longer be slaves of sin; He is our deliverer if He is our Lord and Savior.  Praise be to God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son and His Holy Spirit, one God in three persons.  These are the true heroes and they alone can deliver us and all we can do is be broken over our sins and repent, which means turn away from our sins and trust in the Lord as our Lord and Savior.

I hope this has encouraged you and may you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord, for he is truly worthy!!  

Future

When Jesus was on the Mount of Olives He taught about what would happen in the future and it sure seems like we are there and the end is coming.  Let me ask you a question: are you ready for what will come, and has come in certain places, upon the sons of men and their families?  There are many people in the world that are facing heavy persecution from many people; some who don’t understand because they are blinded to the truth, and others from people that think they are doing God a favor and still others that have believed a lie and ran with it not really trying to seek to know the truth and to be set free by it.

It is very important as believers that we pray for those in the body of Christ that face persecution.  Even though we may not be facing these things where we live, not being in the situation ourselves, we need to ask the Lord how we may be able to help them in these stressful times.  Also, don’t forget to pray for the persecutors, that they would come to know the truth and that the truth would set them free.

We need to also pray for God’s peace to come to all the nations of the world that are suffering persecution.  Let me remind you of something; the body of Christ isn’t housed in one building, but it is spread all around the world.  When one part suffers, we all should suffer.

Read what it says in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

We need to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, like it says in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

When we hear that someone has been especially blessed we need to rejoice with them and when we hear that someone in the body of Christ is suffering we need to weep with them.  Question: have you ever wept because of the persecuted church?  If the answer is no, then I am as guilty as you because I haven’t either.  It seems much easier to weep with those that are closest to you than over those you don’t really know.  We need to pray and ask the Lord to help us be more sensitive and loving as we pray and think about what is going on in our brothers and sisters lives.

All the things that Jesus talked about will only take place if we love one another and if we love God first and put Him first in our lives.  What did Jesus teach about those that persecute you?  Look in Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Read what Jesus said about loving your enemies in the same chapter in verses 43-48, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus didn’t say it would be easy but that it could and should be done.  Enough said, I have given you something to think about, have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  And don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!