Lent: Valleys
We all struggle with hurdles. In fact, most of what I do is help people with their hurdles. I spend time listening in the office or over the phone. It might be in a hospital room or at a funeral home. It could be anywhere. It seems to find me. I am glad it does. It is what I love to do. I love trying to inspire people to see that the valley is not so deep. So let me ask you how deep is the valley that you are in today? How long have you been in it?
I ask this, because I know what valleys feel like. I have been in many life and death valleys myself. I know what real pain feels like, both physical and mental. I also know what it takes to get out of them.
First, Christ can heal anything! I hope you realize this. Christ can bring life into a depressed heart. Christ can restore a dying marriage. Christ can rejuvenate broken spirits. Christ can destroy hate, resentment, anger, jealousy and years of pain and replace it with faith, hope, love and forgiveness.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus… Ephesians 2:4
To get out of that valley we need Christ…I promise.
The second thing about valleys is that they will not destroy you although they feel like they might. I love this line and I don’t know who said it…YOU DIDN’T MAKE ME, SO YOU CAN’T BREAK ME! Valleys can’t break us or destroy us, because they are only external things.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
God knows us inside and out. He knows you down to your first molecule and it is only God that can alter, rearrange or change you. It is only God that can destroy us and we have a God that loves. We have a God that has gone to great lengths to bring us life, not death. We have a God that so loves us that we walk as His children with confidence and boldness. He will uphold us with His righteous hand. “This valley didn’t make me, so you can’t break me!” Scream that out next time Satan gets a hold of your life. Yell that out for the world to hear. Valleys are not alive. They have no power over our lives.
The third thing is that sometimes we make our valleys deeper than they should be. We tend to want to make valleys out of ruts or mountains out of molehills. We tend to do this with the little things in life. Don’t make valleys worse than they really are. Don’t build them up in your mind to be nuclear catastrophes. If you do that is exactly what they will become.
Now for some of us we deal with the really big valleys. Death, tragedy and the loss of loved ones are on that list. In fact, they might be the most devastating things we will go through as human beings. Please do not lose heart. Please hear your Lord speaking to you that life is eternal. Please know that God loves you and is surrounding you this very moment with His angels.
“I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest” John 10:10
Not even death can separate us from a loving Lord who died so that we might live. Hold fast and remember the promise of our Christ,
“This day you will be with me in Paradise!”
Valleys can, in the end, only make us stronger and bring us closer to our God. Don’t be scared of them. Lean on your Lord. Know that He can bring you out of them. Know that they cannot destroy you. Most of all, know that God has the last say even in death. For God has said, “LIFE!” for us all!
May you live not in your valley today, but in LIFE.
Love you all!
Rev. Jim
