LESSONS FROM THE VALLEY – PART 2
3 LESSONS FROM THE VALLEY
- Presence: When in the valley, one of the enemy’s subtleties is the deceptive work of convincing believers that God is not with them during their low seasons. This is the idea that God is only God of the mountains and not God of the valleys, [2 Kings 20:23]. Share some practical insights on how we can ensure that we never lose hope in God’s abiding presence, even when we cannot see or feel the evidence of His presence.
- Victory: In the stories of ancient Israel, victory came through the physical defeat of their enemies that came against them in battle. In other words, they saw and, in some cases, participated in the defeat of their enemies. For us today, as new covenant believers, what does victory look like? How can we know that we have achieved victory even while we’re still in the valley?
- Joy: One way to define joy is to see it as eternal and unwavering happiness; a God-given inner feeling that cannot be affected by outer circumstances. According to James 1:2, believers should rejoice when encountering or passing through valley experiences. How do we do that, where does this joy come from, and how do we sustain it when life gets difficult? Is it okay to have lapses in joy when the pressures of life or ministry are seemingly insurmountable?
- Experience: According to the scriptures, when facing a diabolical giant, David refused the military armour of the king, instead choosing to use five stones taken out of the valley [1 Sam. 17:38-40]. This was a picture of using one’s experiences to fight the good fight of faith. Share some of the experiences that you have learned from your valleys and that you have subsequently used when confronted with a battle. Have the stones of your experiences slain any giants in your life?
Prayer: Father, Give Us More Joy in This Present Valley, In Jesus Name.