STRESS BUSTERS PART 6
VALLEYS
Psalm 23:4
INTRODUCTION:
VALLEYS. That says it all doesn’t it? That word alone conjures up images of unforeseen and sometimes inhospitable circumstances.
Few of us talk about them, and none of us deliberately search for them. No one got up this morning and said, “Lord lead me to the valley today. I can’t wait for trouble to come my way.’
The Bible talks about different kinds of valleys we experience, in life.
Joshua talks about the Valley of Calamity
Psalm 84 talks about the Valley of Weeping
Hosea talks about the Valley of Trouble
This verse in Hebrew actually means The Valley of Deep Darkness.
And so the NLT, translates this, Even when I walk through the darkest valley.
When you are looking at a valley, you may want to look for another route around the valley. Or maybe, you ignore the valley all together, and wait for it to go away. You can try to blame the valley on someone or something else.
However, avoidance, denial, or blame will not make the valleys of life go away.
The Bible says that valleys are an INDISPENSIBLE part of life. James reminds us to be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. ( 1:2-4, CEV)
Rick Warren writes, If you never have any down times, dark times, gloomy times in your life you'll be dried up. You'll have no depth to yourself, no maturity. It takes good times and bad times to make a mature person.
Today we're going to look at God's antidote to the Dark Valleys of life. Even in our darkest valleys, our darkest days, God is there.
This verse marks the half way mark of this Shepherds’ Psalm. Up to this point, the sheep have been talking in the third person. It is as if he has been boasting to his contemporaries, of the care he receives from the Shepherd.
Now the attention of the sheep turns personal. It is as if the sheep is entering an intimate personal conversation with the Shepherd.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4
Let’s understand what David is referring to in this verse.
Sometimes we may think that the “valley” David is referring to here is only the valley of death. Literally the Hebrew here reads “the valley of deep darkness.”
You see, we might think of a valley as a gentle, rolling, meadow where living is ideal. And truly there are some beautiful valleys. The Trent Hills is a beautiful valley to drive through in the summer and fall. The Ottawa Valley in Eastern Ontario is absolutely stuning and serene this time of year. David is not referring to that type of terrain here.
He is referring to a deep, dark, ravine. A place that is home for vultures by day and wolves by night, a chasm among the hills, a frightening place.
In fact, most scholars believe that David is referring to a specific valley called the “Valley of the Shadow of Death.” It was a deep, dark, foreboding place to try to walk through let alone lead sheep.
David, would often lead his sheep through the valley of the shadow of death as the flock made it’s way to the higher mountain ranges for summer grazing. But, when he says we walk through this valley he is not talking about this kind of place in the physical sense but the emotional sense. He’s speaking of places of deep heartache, of tough trauma, of serious suffering.
It is not just knowing that valleys come, the issue is, How do I handle the dark valleys of life when they come?
There are five facts about valleys that you need to remember whenever you go through a tough time:
1. VALLEYS ARE UNAVOIDABLE: You cannot avoid the valleys of life.
When valleys come, and unforeseen circumstances make us turn our heads, we are often dumbfounded and taken by surprise.
The Bible reminds us, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
They are going to happen. You have just come out of a valley, or you're in one right now, or you're probably headed toward one. Valleys happen throughout life -- one right after another. After every mountain top there is a valley.
Jesus was very realistic about it. In John 16, He says "In the world you will have trouble." It's not a matter of if, it's when. It's going to happen.
You're going to have difficulty, disappointment, discouragement in life. There will be times of suffering, sorrow, sickness. There will be times of frustration, failure and fatigue. They are going to happen. They are a normal part of life. Don't be surprised by it.
2. VALLEYS ARE UNPREDICTABLE
Have you ever had a flat tire at a good time? They just happen. And usually when you least need them and it's most inconvenient. It would be very great if we could schedule our down times in life. You can't plan life like that.
Valleys come suddenly. They are unpredictable. Have you noticed how easily a good day can become a bad day? A phone call, a letter, a routine doctor's check-up, a freak accident. Valleys just happen.
Jeremiah 4:20 "Disaster follows disaster... In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter falls in a moment."( NIV)
3. VALLEYS ARE IMPARTIAL No one is immune to them.
No one is insulated from pain and sorrow. No one gets to skate through life problem free.
Everybody has problems -- good people and bad people. Problems, trials, difficulties, disturbances, downtimes, depression doesn't mean you're a bad person. It means you're a person. It doesn't mean you're an evil human being; it means you're a human being.
The Bible is very clear that good things happen to bad people and sometimes bad things happen to good people. Valleys are impartial. They don't care how good or bad you are.
ILLUSTRATION: Good news/bad news
You know, for pastors, ministry is a series of good news and bad news. Listen to these scenarios:
Good news: You baptized seven people today in the river.
Bad news: You lost two of them in the swift current.
Good news: The Women’s ministry voted to send you a get-well card.
Bad news: The vote passed 21-20.
Good news: The Deacons accepted your job description the way you wrote it.
Bad news: They were so inspired by it, they formed a search committee to find somebody capable of filling the position.
Good news: Mrs. Jones is wild about your sermons.
Bad news: Mrs. Jones is also wild about soap operas, the “Gong show” and the “Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”
Good news: The church was full last Sunday
Bad news: You were on vacation
Someone made a comment to me recently, that Pastors should be shielded from trouble. I wish that were true. Having REV. in front of your name or M.Div. behind it is not a guarantee that a person will be exempt from the valleys of life.
Matthew 5:45 Jesus said, "It rains on the just and the unjust too."
Our natural assumption is that life should be fair. This is a common assumption, but it is not a true one.
We live in an imperfect, broken world. It is sin, and our constant rebellion against God’s commands that have broken this world. A broken world is not a fair world.
When we go through a difficult time -- a valley in life -- the first reaction is always "Why me?" Yet really you should ask "Why not me?" Do you think you should be exempt from all the problems everybody else has to go through? Do you think you should be the only one in the universe that never has a tragedy, a loss, looses a loved one?
Instead of saying "Why me?" just realize it's going to happen because you're a human being. Remember this is not heaven. Things are not perfect here and there are problems and difficulties. They are going to happen in life -- to good people, Christians.
Disasters and tragedies happen to all of us. The good news is,
4. VALLEYS ARE TEMPORARY
They have an end to them. They don't last. They are not a permanent location. David says, "Even though I walk through the valley..." The valley is not something you stay in your entire life. It's something you go through – a circumstance, a situation that has a season to it. When you're in a valley you often think it's a dead end, but it's not.
It's like a tunnel -- there is a beginning and end. You go through the tunnel and eventually you're out of it and back out in the light again. They don't come into your life to stay. They come to pass.
I Peter 1:6 "There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here."
He admits that sometimes you're going to go through tough times. It's going to be rough. Life is tough. You're going to have it.
But it's only for a while. There is wonderful joy ahead. He's talking about Heaven. There are no problems in heaven, no valleys, no dark days. While you may be harassed down here, in heaven you'll have no problems. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, that's where you're going.
He says don't get discouraged. Even if you live 80 or 90 years and have a problem your entire life, that is so insignificant compared to the thousands and millions of years in eternity problem free. He says, even if it's your whole life it's just temporary compared in light of eternity.
"Our troubles are short lived and there is an eternal glory which outweighs them all."
They won't last; they will be short. But he says, there is an eternal glory. This is important. Pain can be productive. There will be a benefit for our problems if we respond in the right way. While we have the temporary hassles there is long term, eternal benefit when you go through a valley and respond to it correctly.
5. VALLEYS ARE PURPOSEFUL
God has a reason for taking you through dark valleys. Whether you have a valley full of doubt, despair, discouragement, or defeat – God has a reason behind it. We think that valleys are unnatural – they are not – they are a natural part of the landscape. There are financial valleys, relationship valleys, emotional valleys, all kinds of valleys in our lives. You will get through them in time. Look at what first Peter chapter one says:
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
This verse tells me two things.
A. Every problem has a purpose. The small problems or the big problems all have a purpose. They are there to help shape you. As metal is put into the fire to make it pliable – so we go through problems is life. The fire heats the metal so it can be shaped and made useful.
B. Faith is built in the valleys of life. How do you know if you will be faithful unless you are faced with unfaithfulness? How do you know how much endurance you have unless you have to face tough times? How do you know if you can trust God in difficult times – unless you go through tough times?
God’s goal in life is not to make you comfortable. His goal is to build your character. He is preparing you for eternity.
He's more interested in your holiness than He is in your happiness. Holiness lasts, happiness doesn't. Happiness comes from holiness anyway.
He wants to make you like Jesus Christ. He wants you to develop the character of Christ. If God is going to make you like Christ, He is going to take you through all of the circumstances of life He took Christ through.
Was Jesus exempted from suffering? Absolutely not. What makes you think you're going to be exempted?
Did Jesus go through times of loneliness? Yes. Will you? Yes.
Was Jesus ever tempted to be discouraged? Yes. Will you? Yes.
Was Jesus ever misunderstood, maligned, criticized unjustly? Yes. Will you? Absolutely.
What makes you think you're any different? You're going to go through valleys. God wants to build character in your life.
It's not by accident. Does God cause accidents and tragedies? No. God does not cause accidents and tragedies. God is a good God and He cannot cause evil. He cannot do evil.
Can God use accidents and tragedies for good? Absolutely. He can use even the evil done to us by others, turn it around and bring good out of it by building character in us. He definitely uses the tragedies and valleys of life in our lives.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GO THROUGH DARK VALLEYS
1. I REFUSE to be discouraged.
Let’s look at Psalm 23 again.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Psalms 23:4 (NKJV)
I want to observe two very important things about this verse. The first is: God doesn’t panic when you go through a problem. But neither do His sheep. The picture we get from this verse is that that the sheep aren’t frightened as they pass through the valley. Look at this verse again. Notice that it says that “I walk” through the valley. It doesn’t say – “I run.” It doesn’t say, “I quiver”. It doesn’t say, “I shake in my boots” No – it says “I walk.” I have sure footing – I take my time. I don’t need to panic.
The second thing I want you to look at are the words, “I will.” Circle those words – “I will”. “I will” is a matter of choice. "I will" fear no evil. “I will” overcome this problem. With God’s help, “I will” get out of this hole I got myself into. One of the biggest adjustments you need make when you are going through problems is an attitude adjustment.
Refuse to be discouraged. You can’t go around the valley. You can’t go under the valley. You can’t go over the valley. You must go through the valley. But – “I will fear no evil.” I will not be afraid. I refuse to be shaking in my boots. I will walk through this valley.
But there is even more to it then just willing yourself through your problems isn’t there. There is a reason why you should refuse to be discouraged. Look at the next phrase in verse four.
“For You are with me;” Psalms 23:4 (NKJV)
God is with you every step of the way. God promises His presence.
2. I REMEMBER God’s presence
God does not leave you alone. At verse four in the Psalm there is a great change in the language. Up to this point all the pronouns are in the third person. “He leads me.” “He guides me.” “He restores my soul.” Now the language changes from third person to second person pronouns. “You are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.” All of a sudden the ultimate becomes the intimate. When you are going through dark valleys you don’t want to talk about God – you want to talk to God. Religion becomes relationship. God says “I am with you. I will take you by the hand. I will lead you through this.” It’s during dark valleys that we need to know God is there. It’s during dark valleys that our faith is the most tested.
You will never go through a valley in life by yourself. You will never go through a dark day alone. God has said, "I will be with you."
Isa. 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
You're not going to drown, burn up, die -- God says I am with you. He will be with you every step in the valley. God says there is nothing to fear when Jesus is near.
When you're in the valley and you're spent, depleted, perplexed, in despair and you're talking directly to God, He becomes real and God says, "I'm with you. You're not in this by yourself." We enjoy the mountaintops but we come face to face with God in the valleys of life. He'll never be closer than when you're in the valley.
So, remember God is with you in the valley, refuse to be discouraged, and finally, When I go through a dark valley…
3. I RELY ON GOD'S PROTECTION
David reminds us that God has a rod and a staff to protect us. The rod and the staff are basic tools for the shepherd. The rod is basically two feet long and has a knot at one end. Shepherds train to use the rod like a missile at anything that would endanger the sheep. Shepherds use the rod to protect their flock.
The staff is a long stick with a crock at the end of it. The staff is used to draw sheep out of a ditch or to pull them closer to the shepherd’s side. But the truth is the shepherd is there to protect His sheep. God has promised us His protection. John chapter ten says:
"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand." John 10:29 (NKJV)
I want to close with three thoughts about shadows.
A. Shadows are always BIGGER THAN REALITY. Fear is always greater than the problems you face.
B. Shadows cannot HURT YOU. Have you ever been run over by a shadow? There is a big difference between a truck and a shadow. Shadows can not hurt you – they can only scare you.
C. Shadows only appear when there is a LIGHT SOURCE. You may be in a dark valley right now – but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Bible says that God is light – and in Him there is no darkness. Trust Him.
CONCLUSION: The fact of life, is that I will go through valleys. The Bible says,
Ps. 34:19 "The good man does not escape all troubles -- he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one."
Christians have disappointments. Christians get sick. Christians experience tragedies. Christians loose loved ones. Christians have financial problems. God's people have family problems. Believers go through valleys just like everybody does. But there is a difference and it's a big difference.
The difference is that while believers and non-believers go through the same valleys of life, the difference for the Christian is not the absence of the shadow but the presence of the Shepherd. God is with you.
Will you trust Him today?
Will you pray to receive Christ and His gift of abundant and eternal life?
Pray this - speak it God in your heart and mind – out loud too if you wish :
"Dear Jesus, I know that because of my sin I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose again so I could live with You. I want to stop living for myself and start living for You. I want Your peace in my life. I want forgiveness for my sins. Please come into my heart and change my life. I want to live with You forever. I want You to be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen."
