The Lord is faithful, even in our "valley" experiences.
Lord of the Valley
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 (NIV).
I once heard a story of a young man named Jim who was a hard-working factory worker in a Midwestern manufacturing town. He was happily married to his wife Kristin who was expecting their 4th child and was the proud father of 3 young sons, Cody, Blake, and Ian. One day, shortly after arriving to work, he and dozens of his co-workers received notices that the plant was about to close down leaving Jim and hundreds of other employees without jobs. Once the factory closed, Jim spent the next several months searching for steady work, picking up odd-jobs here and there to support his family. The family was eventually forced to move out of its home and in with relatives that lived close by. Through it all, Jim and Kristin remained confident that God would help them through their hardship. They remained active in church-participating in various prayer and Bible study groups. In fact, Jim became the Worship Leader of his church, and often traveled around town singing at various worship conferences. Although he was experiencing adversity in his own life, he relied upon his faith in God’s Word to help him minister to others who were hurting as well. Jim focused on the verse of Scripture in Psalm 23:4 in which the psalmist David wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.” Daily he and Kristin meditated on that passage of Scripture. After months of praying, and trusting God, the miraculous happened. An agent from a well-known recording agency heard Jim minister at a worship conference and offered him a generous contract with a Christian record label. Within a short time, the family had earned enough money to build a brand new home, travel around the county ministering the Gospel, and pay off all their debts. When asked in an interview by a local news station what he attributed to his success, he tearfully replied, “I always knew that God was faithful when I was on the mountaintop, but I soon came to realize that He is also the Lord of the Valley.”
Prayer Focus
Father, please help us to remember that You are a present Help in good times as well as in times of difficulty, and that You are always faithful. Let us rest confidently in You to comfort and guide us through our “valley” experiences.
Point to Consider:
When was the last time you experienced some dilemma or difficulty, and you experienced the grace and presence of God? In what ways did that experience affect your faith?
