A Moment With GodSample

THE TRANQUIL VALLEYS

What is our understanding of God? Loving? Patient? Prayer-answering God? Faithful God? Promise-keeping God?

When the Syrians were at war with the Israelites, they needed to know that the God of Israel was a God of the hills and not of the valleys. Their gods had geographical limitations. I Kings 20: 28 28: Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’”

In the tranquil valley we discover these things:

• We find that our God is approachable and God of our valleys too. He walks among us. We can touch the hem of His garment. Different people had different valley experiences in the Bible. Elijah in the valley of loneliness. Joseph in the valley of defeat. Job in the valley of suffering. The woman bleeding for twelve years in the valley of anxiety. All of them experienced the truth that God is approachable in the valley.
• We find God warming our hearts, strengthening us in the valley. He is involved in our lives to lighten our hearts. Let us not look at the valley and put it off for the valuable lessons we learn in the valley, we will never learn outside.
• In the tranquil valley, we discover God to be serene. In the mountains, he symbolizes lightning and the storm. In the valley, the serenity of God floods our soul. Remember Elijah who went through the painful experience. Running from King Ahab, he sat at the brook. Going through the valley experience, he heard the gentle voice of the Lord.
• In the tranquil valley, we discover God's love. In the mountains we discover Him as a holy God. Here we are aware of His love and care. When no one knows what the valley experience is or what we go through, the only person who can meet us in the valley, to take us through the valley and bring us to experience the mountain top is our God who is loving and caring. To experience this Lord, all that we have to do is to ask Him to walk with us. For everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. God’s love overwhelms us.

We are all mountaineers. But, have we been through the valley? Where are we in the valley? Entrance, End or in the middle of the experience. Let us not look at the valley and move away. Let us not look at the end and say it is too far. Let us look at our companion and say: He is with us. We will walk through it.

He is loving. He is a faithful God. Let us rejoice in the Lord and experience life's certainties with the Lord we have.

Valley School is a training school for all mountaineers.