The Valley

This week at Bible study, we are looking at Psalm 23:4. David writes of walking “through the darkest valley.”

Valley.

Isn't it interesting, that we strive for the mountain tops, but once there, we turn and gaze back down at the now declared 'beautiful' valley below? Charles Spurgeon said, "We find that most men confess that God is God of the hills, but they forget that He is also Lord of the valleys." Even though we long for the mountain tops, there is beauty in the valley. It is THERE that the waters flow down to. It is from the valley that we can only look up.

Valleys are to be explored (Deut. 1, spies come back with good report). They are a place to wage war (1 Sam. 17, David & Goliath). Valleys are for freshwater (Gen. 26, Isaac's servants dig 3 prosperous wells). A valley is a place of rebuilding (2 Chron. 33 Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall). There is victory in the valley (Judges 6 & 7 Gideon over the Midianites, 2 Sam. 8 David’s victories). Valleys mark boundary lines (Joshua 18, division of the land). Valleys are a place for dwelling (Gen. 26:17).

Valleys are not to be feared, or just to be admired from the mountain top; life basically happens in the valley. May we not always be looking beyond our valley but learning and exploring and thriving in the valley.