When You Are In The Valley
Posted by: richman in harold sala, tags: inspirational, spiritual, spiritual energyby Dr. Harold Sala
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.” -Psalm 23:1.2
Is trust in God really enough to take you through the dark hours of the soul? When your life is ripped apart in one bolt of lightening and suddenly your light turns to darkness and your mind is reeling from a blow so severe that you can’t comprehend how different things will be, is God really enough?
This, of course, is the shocking question that penetrates the darkness whether it is the loss of a loved one, a tragedy involving the loss of your business, or something happens which you didn’t expect.
For one couple, it took the loss of their little four-year-old, killed in a tragic automobile accident that left the parents bruised but otherwise OK, but with empty arms as their little boy’s life was not spared. But in this hour of sadness, they found the comfort of Him who also lost His Son at Calvary.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he talked about some of the losses he had personally sustained—bitter losses, too; yet, said Paul, “We do not lose heart.” He used a word that also described the anguish of a woman who was in childbirth and despaired of ever giving birth to the baby.
We do not lose heart, says Paul. But how do we break through the depression and gloom of trouble? Before I answer that, may I point out that more than a few of God’s choicest servants have faced dark hours? Do you remember the discouragement—I suppose we could describe it as depression—which John the Baptist faced in the darkness of prison as he asked his disciples to go to Jesus and ask, “Are you the one who should come or should we look for another?” John had baptized Jesus in the Jordan, but in Macherus Prison he was troubled and depressed.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, described as the Prince of Preachers, fought depression for most of His life, sometimes so troubled that it was difficult for him to function. Are we to suggest that this man was not really so spiritual after all? Not for a moment.
The issue is not so much as to whether you or circumstances win but how you fight the battle and whose side you are on. Far better to be on the side of right and God, which will ultimately triumph, than to be on the side which wins but will ultimately fail.
Take time to turn to Hebrews 11 and read the stories of men and women who were even certified by God to be men and women of faith, yet even these faced the lions and fought battles which they lost, at least momentarily. The writer of Hebrews describes some of these choice servants of God, saying, “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated–the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:36-40).
When you are tempted to give up, to feel sorry for yourself, remind yourself that you will eventually triumph through God’s grace and help, so stay focused and keep trusting Him. Hold on to His promises and realize God will eventually see you through the dark valley, the one where God’s choicest servants have walked.
As David said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
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