Monday, July 20, 2020

Topic: “Navigating Life’s Dark Valleys”!!!



Text:  Psalm 23

Psalms is The Book of Praise and it shows Jesus as Our All in All. Psalms has 150 Divisions, 2,461 verses, 43,743 words and 164 questions.
Scripture: Psalms 23:4  (KJV)
Topic: Navigating Life’s Dark Valleys
Navigating - a: to sail over, on, or through: b: to make one's way over or through; traverse: c: to operate or control the course of.
Let us, Christ’s body take a look at how David tells us to Navigate Life’s Dark Valleys.
 This is the Shepherd’s Psalm, Psalm 23 that tells us how God deals with many of life’s stressors.
In what might be considered as the most recognizable verses of Psalm 23, King David deals with the stress of the potential loss of life.  Now we’re going to look at this verse and the valleys of life.  While we yet look around at the various losses many of us have experienced lately, I’m not only talking about the loss of physical life of loved ones, whether it was taken by the hands of another or just death itself, but also the loss of finances, relationships, jobs, and even health.
In Psalm 23:4 King David said,
  • “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” 
In Israel there’s actually a valley called “The Shadow of Death.” I’m told it’s a steep, dark, and narrow canyon that the sun only reaches when it’s directly overhead.  David may very well have led his sheep up this valley.
The Bible often talks about valleys as tough times.
• Psalm 84:6 uses the imagery of people passing through the Valley of Baca, or weeping.
• Hosea talks about the Valley of Achor, or the Valley of Trouble. (Hosea 2:15)
• Ezekiel talks about the Valley of Dry Bones. (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
Other valleys mentioned in the Bible are where battles have been fought and victories won. The Valley of Elah is one such valley. This is where young David won a great victory for Israel over the Philistines by defeating the giant Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:19)
Elah in Hebrew is Terebinth or a tree (an oak, elm or other strong tree) which denotes a consciousness of strength and protection. An oak stands for or symbolizes something very strong and protective. When this thought of strength and protection is based on God, sense errors or carnality (the Philistines) are overcome and all is well.
Now if you were on God’s side of this valley, this valley is one of victory. But if you were on Goliath’s side, then you went down in flames.
There is also the Valley of Shittim (Hebrew -  Acacias wood), which is part of the larger Jordan Valley. It was in this valley that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah resided, and that God brought judgment against because of their sins. Once this valley was green and fertile, but now it’s nothing but desolation. In fact, the sea that is located in that valley is dead. That’s why it’s known as the “Dead Sea.” 
But when you look at it on God’s side; this Shittim/Acacias wood doesn’t decay. This refers to resurrection life. When there has been a resurrection experienced in consciousness or thought processes, there is an inflow of new life, with the corresponding quickening, awakening, and revitalizing in mind and body.
The Valley of Shittim is the same desolation we see whenever the Valley of Hinnom is mentioned. This valley (Hinnom) lies outside of Jerusalem. It was in this valley that Israel greatly sinned by sacrificing their children to the god Molech (national god of the Ammonites). As a consequence the Lord calls it a place of slaughter and as a place of ashes and bodies. (Jeremiah 7:31; 31:40)
During the days of Jesus the Valley of Hinnom was the city’s garbage dump where fires continually burned, and was synonymous with hell, a place of decay and burning.
Hinnom (Hebrew: sorrow, groaning, as in affliction; also means purifying fires).
When looking at this valley on God’s side it’s the purifying fires of the soul. Our God is a consuming fire according to Hebrews 12:29, and when judgments, or times of separation of the true from the false, take place in our consciousness, the error (vain deceit; traditions of men) is utterly consumed, and swallowed up, by the love and perfection and Truth of Spirit.
       John 8:32: You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
Today valleys are not well thought of in that manner now. Today we talk of being in despair as being in a valley. When we’re not doing well, we say we’re in a valley experience. But our valleys don’t have to be places of despair.
To rightly handle our times in these valleys we need to understand some aspects or facts about the valleys we encounter in life.
Valleys Are Inevitable: incapable of being avoided or evaded.
Valley experiences are going to happen, so we might as well count on them.
  • 1 Peter 4:12: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
Jesus said,
 “In the world (systems or arrangements set up by men) ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b KJV)
 It’s not a matter of “if,” but “when” a valley experience is going to happen. We’re all going to experience difficulties, disappointments, and discouragements; suffering, sorrow, and sicknesses, frustration, failure, and fatigue. These are all sometimes part of life, so they shouldn’t surprise us. BUT GOD!!!
  •   Jesus said; “These things I have spoken unto you, that in ME ye might have peace.” (John 16:33)
Valleys Are Unpredictable: not able to be known or declared in advance.
We can never plan or schedule valleys. Valleys are always unexpected and always tend to come at the worst time imaginable. Think about it, there’s never a good time to have a flat tire or for the car to break down. There’s never a good time to lose your job or health.
Have you ever noticed how quickly a good day can turn into a bad day?
The prophet Jeremiah said,
Jeremiah is basically saying that since valleys happen in an instant, we need to be prepared to be unprepared.
Valleys Are Impartial: not partial or biased: treating or affecting all equally.
No one is immune to valleys. No one is insulated from pain and sorrow. No one gets a “Get out of the valley” free card. Everyone has problems, good and bad people. In other words, valleys are impartial.
Jesus said, (Matthew 5:45b KJV)
When we go through these valleys, our first reaction is always “Why me?” Yet it really should be “Why not me?” No one is exempt from problems. Everyone goes through them.
Valleys Are Temporary:  lasting for a limited time.
Valleys do have an end. They don’t last forever. They’re not a permanent location. David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”
The key word in this verse is “through”. Valleys are what we go through, not permanently camp out in.  Valleys are not dead ends but rather they’re tunnels with light on the other side!  And for all the pessimists that are out there, the light at the end of the valley isn’t an oncoming train!
The Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 1:6,
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” (1 Peter 1:6 NKJV)
Notice Peter admits that we’re going to go through various trials, but they aren’t going to last, therefore we can rejoice. When Jesus said that in this world we will have trials, He goes on to say to be cheerful, because He has overcome the world.
Even though life has its tough times, there’s always joy ahead for those who are in Christ. Amen!!
Valleys Are Purposeful: meaningful.
God has a reason for taking us through the valleys.
Peter goes on to say,
[This “appearing” of Jesus Christ, is not Him appearing out in the sky, but it’s the total manifestation or appearing of Christ in you in His fullness]!!
“These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure.” (1 Peter 1:7)
There are all kinds of valleys we face: financial valleys, relational valleys, emotional valleys, physical valleys, and the general valleys that come with life. But what Peter tells us is that these valleys have a purpose, and that purpose is to test our faith.
Look at Abraham, the greatest example for us all, when he had a mountain-top experience with God. Like Abraham, we can’t stay on a spiritual mountaintop, because we can’t have mountains without valleys.
Mountaintops are great, but faith is built in the valleys. It is in the valleys where our faith is strengthened. Abraham said, “It was through my valley of losing everything, including my family, that my faith actually increased becoming my number one gift.”
So, every problem has a purpose, even the tiny ones. They’re all about building our character making us more into the image of Jesus The Christ.
So, what does David encourage us to do when we walk through these dark valleys?
1. Refuse to be discouraged:
“I will fear no evil”                                                                                                                                 David put his faith in God and walked through the valley of the shadow of death.
We need to refuse to be discouraged and walk through these valleys of experiences. We can’t go around the valley. We can’t go under the valley, nor can we go over it. We can only go through it.
 But how can we not be discouraged?                                                                                       It’s by focusing on God’s power rather than our problems.                                                 Two people in identical situations will generally react differently. The difference is what they’re focusing on.
When we focus on our circumstances then our circumstances will rule our lives. Instead we need to start focusing on Jesus Christ. Don’t focus on the situation, but rather focus upon the Savior. Again sisters and brothers don’t focus on the problems, but rather on God’s power over the problem.
2. Remember God is Present:
“For thou art with me.”
God not only promises us His power in the valleys, but He promised His presence as well. When we know God as our Good Shepherd, then we’ll never walk alone through the valleys of life. He’ll be with us.
  • Hebrews 13:5: I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord said,
  • “When you passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isaiah 43:2 KJV)
No matter what problems we might face, God says He’ll see us through. He’ll be with us every step of the way. When God is near there’s therefore nothing to fear.
  • 2 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
There’s something else that I would like all of us to notice in Psalm 23, and that is the change of language that occurs.                                                                                                Verses two and three David uses the 3rd person when referencing God (meaning someone other than himself).
  • “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.”
But in verse four and five when David gets to the valley of death, David changes his reference to God to the 2nd person (the person being addressed). Meaning it was David in flesh form but he was actually God in the valley!!
  • “You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me; You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil.”
When we’re in the valleys of life, that’s when we come face to face with God. In the valleys we don’t want to talk about God, we want to know that we are God. Reveal yourself to yourself by affirming, “I am the Christ, son of the living God.” And you look at yourself not as flesh and blood, but as Spirit.
  • 1 John 4:17: As he is, so are we, in this world!
 This is where religion changes into a relationship. It’s when we’re in the valleys that God becomes real and says, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)
Last
3. Rely on God’s Protection and Guidance:
  • “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.
The rod and staff were the two basic tools used by the shepherd to protect and guide the sheep. The rod was about two feet long with a large knot on the end. The shepherd would use this to keep the predators at bay and protect the sheep.
The staff was a long stick with a crook at the end. The shepherd would use the staff to guide and comfort the sheep. He would use the staff to draw sheep unto him or lift them up when they’ve fallen in a pit.
When we go through the valleys of life, the Lord isn’t sitting up beyond the blue saying, “I hope they make it through.” God isn’t apathetic/not interested to our situation but He’s willing to guide and protect us.
So, God’s power, presence, protection, and guidance is ours when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
There’s one last thing I’d like to focus on in closing, and that is David calling this place the “valley of the shadow of death.” This reveals the reality that it isn’t the valleys that scare us; rather it’s the shadows. Now, there are several things to understand about shadows.
• Shadows are always bigger than the reality. Fear is always greater than the problem.
• Shadows can’t hurt us. Have you ever been run over by a shadow? There’s a difference between a shadow and a truck. Shadows are images without substance.
• There is no shadow without there being a source of light.                                                       So, when we begin to be afraid of the shadows in the dark valleys of life, we need to turn away from the shadow and look directly at the light!
  • Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12 KJV)
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:5:  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 
  • 1 John 1:5: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 
When we look at the world we’ll be distressed. When we look within ourselves, we’ll be depressed. But when we look at Jesus we’ll be at rest! 
Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 KJV)
As the songwriter once said when we find ourselves in these times of dark shadows:
  • “Turn your eyes upon Jesus – Look totally unto Him and the things of earth shall grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. But if the storms of life don’t cease and if the winds keep on blowing in my life my soul has been anchored in THE LORD”!!!
When Hosea saw the Valley of Achor, the Valley of Trouble, he also saw a door and it was a door of hope. (Hosea 2:15)
That door of hope is nothing less than Jesus the Christ.
In John 10:9 Jesus said,                                                                                                        “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9 NKJV)
Jesus is not only the door, but He is also standing at the door of our hearts and knocking.
In His letter to the Laodicean Church Jesus said,
  • “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV)
Jesus is at the door of our hearts knocking, will we hear Him calling? We can let Him in and the eternal hope He brings, or we can continue to stay defeated and in despair, never tasting His victory, and thus always fearing the valley of the shadow of death.
But when we open the door of our hearts to Him, God’s power, presence, protection and guidance will be ours when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death and into the light of Jesus Christ that brings life.
Clap your hands and give God the Praise!!!
Hallelujah!!!!
Evangelist Jackie Burton

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