“THE GOD OF THE VALLEYS”
1 Kgs. 20:23,28
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: HOW MANY CHICKENS
1. Boudreaux spots Thibodeaux walking down the levee the other day, carrying a sack over his shoulder.
2. Well of course, curiosity got the best of Boudreaux, and he asked Thibodeaux, "Hey, Mon Homme,(my man), what you got in dat sack ?" Thibodeaux says, "Well, I got me some chickens in dat sack."
3. Boudreaux says, "If I can guess how many chickens you got in dat sack, can I have one of dem?"
4. Thibodeaux replied, "Well, my fren, if you can guess how many I got, you can have both of dem!"
B. TEXTS
23 Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they. 28 Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel [Ahab], 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.’” 1 Kgs. 20:23, 28 NKJV
C. THESIS
1. The devil loves to boast and to brag, especially if he can win a triumph over God or God’s people.
2. God however, is jealous for His Name and reputation. Therefore allowing the devil to win and to boast totally rubs God the wrong way.
3. So God is invested in overthrowing the schemes of the wicked and vindicating the righteous.
4. In our passage today we see to what lengths God will go to short-circuit the enemy from a victory.
5. This is an encouragement to us that if we call on God and solicit His help when the devil assaults us, God WILL NOT let our enemy triumph over us!
6. The term “valley” literally means “an elongated depression in the earth’s surface”, but the term long ago came to represent a low spot in a person’s life.
7. We’re going to take a look at Valleys and see that God is also the God of our valleys, as well as the mountains. The title of this message is, “The God of the Valleys.”
I. COMMON TRAITS OF VALLEYS
A. VALLEYS ARE UNAVOIDABLE
They’re going to happen in life – you can count on it. You may be coming out of one right now or you may be in the middle of one right now or you’re heading into one right now.
B. VALLEYS ARE UNPREDICTABLE
1. You CAN’T PLAN them or TIME them. They’re unscheduled. They usually come at the worst time – when you don’t have time and are unprepared.
2. Have you ever had a flat tire at a good time? Usually it happens when we have to be somewhere and are running late.
C. VALLEYS ARE IMPARTIAL
1. No one is immune. No one escapes the problems of life. Everyone has problems – good people and bad people. Problems don’t care how good or bad you are.
2. One of the first reactions most of us have is to ask, “Why me?”
3. Jesus said, “[God] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Mt. 5:45.
D. VALLEYS ARE TEMPORARY
1. They don’t last forever. Dark valleys aren’t like a cave, but like a dark tunnel; there’s light at the other end.
2. “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ…will have
you put together and on your feet…” 1 Pet. 5:8-11.
E. VALLEYS HAVE A PURPOSE
1. 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.
2. “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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 Pet. 1:6-7.
3. This verse tells me TWO THINGS;
a. Every problem has a purpose. Trials come to help shape you, just like fire heats metal so it can be shaped and made useful.
b. Faith is built in the valleys of life. How do you know if you can trust God in difficult times – unless you go through tough times? There’s no triumph without a trial!
4. God’s GOAL in life is not to make you comfortable. His goal is to build your character! He is preparing you for eternity.
II. THE ENEMY’S PLAN OF INTIMIDATION
A. THE ENEMY’S LIES ABOUT BELIEVERS
1. Satan’s a master of hindering and intimidating people. Millions are held in mental prisons, unable to escape from the torment of past failures.
2. Satan has a very limited vocabulary. It consists of two thoughts: 1). You can't; 2). God won’t.
3. “You can't live for God because you had an alcoholic daddy.” “God won't help you because you didn't live up to your last promise to pray 15 minutes every day.”
4. HUMOR: “Living in the Blues”
a. Yvonne Miley was selling raffle tickets at the mall, when she spotted a man coming toward her on crutches.
b. He had one arm in a sling, one leg in a cast and a patch over his right eye.
c. She sung out her best sales’ pitch, “Hi Sir! Would you like to take a chance at winning a $1,000 prize?”
d. Without hesitation he replied, “Lady, do I look like a lucky man to you?”
5. Circumstances don't make choices for people! How we believe will determine how we behave. If we believe God doesn’t intervene, then we’ll develop spiritual helplessness.
6. Slavery can become a comfort zone. Many TDC inmates prefer prison bondage to freedom because their bondage requires less effort & stress!
B. ENEMY’S LIE ABOUT GOD’S CHARACTER
1. The specific lie of Ahab’s enemies was that God can only save at certain locations or in certain situations, and not in others.
2. They said, “Their God is [only a] God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys” (vs. 28).
3. Often times Christians fall for this lie. We come to believe that God is with us in our good times (mountaintop experiences), but deserts us when we’re in times of trial.
4. When we’re out of a job, when we’re sick, or a tragedy has occurred, etc., God’s somehow lost His power and can no longer help us.
5. So in some people’s minds, God is God sometimes, and NOT God other times! This, of course, isn’t true; God is God ALL the time.
6. But neither does God want Christians or those around them to believe that the Living God is powerless or doesn’t care about us.
C. BUT THIS STIRS GOD’S DESIRE TO ACT FOR US!
1. In Ezekiel 36:1-3, God says, "Because your enemy has said these things... prophesy!" The devil has been lying to you, but God is going to answer him.
2. Satan has said,
a. "You will never change/be healed.
b. “You will never get over this problem.”
c. “You will never see your loved ones saved.”
d. “Your youth group will never grow.”
e. Your church will never see great revival.”
3. I've got good news today: God is sending a Word through the Holy Spirit, "I have heard the boastful words of the enemy, wherewith he blasphemes Me. Therefore hear the word of the Lord!”
4. “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” Mt. 16:18; Isa. 54:17.
5. “In the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” 2 Cor. 6:7.
6. “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future." Jer. 29:11.
7. “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.” Rom. 8:37. “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh...” “This gospel shall be preached in all nations...."
III. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GO THROUGH VALLEYS
A. REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED Let’s look at Psalm 23.
1. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” Psalms 23:4 (NKJV).
2. 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.
3. Notice that it says that “I walk” through the valley. It doesn’t say – “I run.” It doesn’t say, “I shake in my boots” No – it says “I walk.” I take my time. I don’t need to panic.
4. The SECOND thing -- the words, “I will fear no evil.” “I will” is a matter of choice. “I will” overcome this problem. With God’s help, “I will” get out of this hole I got myself into.
5. One of the biggest adjustments you need make when you are going through problems is an attitude adjustment.
6. 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. Why?
7. “For You are with me;” Psalms 23:4 (NKJV). God is with you every step of the way. God promises His presence.
B. RELY ON GOD’S PRESENCE
1. At verse four in the Psalm there’s a big 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.”
2. Now the language turns 2nd Person; “You are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.” When you are going through dark valleys you don’t want to talk about God – you want to talk to God.
3. Religion becomes relationship. God says “I am with you. I will take you by the hand. I will lead you through this.”
C. SATAN HAS A PLOT, BUT GOD HAS A PLAN
1. God’s destiny can’t be thwarted! Satan can plot and lie all he wants, but God will ultimately prevail.
2. Just as surely as Haman's plot was turned against him, so shall our enemy's plot turned against him. God has ordained us, from the foundation of the world, to be His own dear children.
3. God knows what the enemy is plotting and will frustrate him. Job 5:12, "He disappoints the devices of the crafty, so their hands can't perform their enterprise." “The Lord watches over…the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked” Ps. 146:9.
D. IT’S ABOUT TIME WE STARTED “PROPHESYING”
1. That is, "speaking out some things today," “Speaking of the good God will do for us.”
2. We should believe and confess the truth that God will never let the enemy triumph over His people! We serve a just and faithful Creator.
3. Say what God says and have faith in Him!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Pastor J.H. Crowell was 16 years old when he was hired on a sailing vessel in the 1800’s. He was the only Christian on board the ship.
2. Each day he would go below deck and pray aloud. He was badly persecuted.
a. Once they threw wood at him;
b. They poured buckets of cold water over him;
c. They tied him to the mast and gave him 39 lashes;
d. Tied a rope to his body and threw him overboard. He tried to swim but at last he couldn’t swim any longer. He
shouted; “Send my body to my mother and tell her I died for Jesus!”
3. He was later pulled onto the deck unconscious. Conviction began to seize the sailors. Before nightfall 2 of them were gloriously converted.
4. Inside of a week, everyone on board, including the captain, was blessedly saved. [Walter B. Knight’s, 3000 Illus., p. 491.]
B. THE CALL
1. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:38-39.
2. Let’s take our trials and conflicts to the Lord and let Him resolve them. Do you have any battles you need God to fight for you?
3. We serve an All-knowing, all-seeing God who cares about His people and will vindicate us and His Word. Let’s take the battle to the Lord.
4. Prayer for salvation and deliverance.
