Navigating the valleys and Mountain tops of our life
Hinds Feet and High Places
Psalm 18:33, Habakkuk 3:19
Introduction and greeting-
Good morning, we are glad that you have joined us!
Please turn to Psalm 18 as we begin this morning-
Prayer-
I have titled the message- Navigating the valleys and the mountain top experiences in your life/ subtitle Hinds feet and high places- a lot of words to say talking about the highs and the lows in our life.
We all like the highs and nobody likes the lows. We all like to be king of the hill.
Often we do not really understand what stage of life we are in till we either plummet to the low place or realize it is a high moment and we just have a fear of soon getting knocked of f the mountain. (up and down)
We are bitter when in the valleys- we don’t think that we belong there- We are scared to death when we are on the mountain top that someone will kick us off.
Anybody relate?
Psalm 18 is the Psalm of David. These words were put to a song of praise for a God that had delivered him from the hands of his enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3
“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, and my horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”
God is my everything! (do a little dance)
So let me ask you, is God only your refuge, your deliverer when we are in the valley?
The low spots of our lives.
Do we acknowledge him only after he has gotten us out of danger?
Psalm 18:16-17-
“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.”
David was rescued and it changed his life forever-
(29) “With your help I can advance against a troop! With my God I can scale a wall”
There are some lessons that must be learned in the valley so that we can experience and understand what is done on the mountaintop.
This week in 10 am Wednesday devotional class I read from the book of Job. I started reading Job 1 ”In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was JOB…Few people chuckled…This man was blameless and upright… is no one going to stop me? I said can you image someone who never picked up a bible before and started reading for the first time …THAT WOULD BE JOB NOT JOBE.IF THEY NEVER HEARD A SERMON OR NEVER A SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. THEY WOULD NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
To never experience the valleys, we would not know what to do or act in the high points of our life-
Don’t believe me- Everyday we see celebrities who should by all standards have it all together with nothing to worry about- yet they struggle, they have lows, their lives are a mess because they cannot handle the highs because they never experience the lows-
The children of celebrities who have not had to learn life lessons (silver spoon) most think the world owes them because who their parents are.
They don’t know how to handle life’s obstacles and then most do it without God- it is a disaster waiting to happen.
Hind’s feet are the feet of mountain deer who know how to climb and navigate the mountains, to get to the top and are able to get around the valleys as well. I saw it first hand on vacation in Nevada with mountain sheep.
(33) He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.”
Makes that verse come alive- feet (hinds) prepare to climb the mountain and knowing God enables us to stand on the mountain. (Without him we will fall)
God uses imagery of mountains and valleys often in His Word to describe His power, the high moments of success in life, and obstacles that stand in our way. WE HAVE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
Valleys are low spots (where David was before God rescued him)
knocked down and knocked off the mountain
Looking up… to the obstacle (mountain) in front of you.
One energizes our faith and one drains us-
Navigating the valleys
I don’t think anyone has to tell you what a valley is-
A low spot in your life where your wondering where God is and if you are going to get out of it.
Christians think God has abandoned them and non-believers say… see- God doesn’t care for me or he would not have let this happen to me.
Christians that feel abandoned are looking at their spot in life as a punishment and they are wondering why God is punishing them. Especially if they are working hard to do what they believe is right.
The valleys of life are learning spots in life- (repeat)
It is a place that will teach you to trust in God and not yourself.
A place where we are broken and yet open for God to do something fresh and new.
Connect or reconnect to the Lord
Valleys are a place where lessons learned could change your future life forever.
Psalm 121:1-2
“I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. WATCH THIS! (3) “He will not let my foot slip”
In verses 1-2 we see the Lord who delivers us.
“I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
David provides eight descriptions of the Lord in those two verses.
“My strength” – David will make his boast in the Lord during this Psalm.
The faithfulness God.
The God who defeats his enemies.
He acknowledges that all of it came by the grace of God.
The strength of God not his own strength, but the strength that God gave him.
“My rock” – The source of David’s stability was God Himself.
You’ve heard the phrase, “solid as a rock.” It is something that stands firm. Jesus contrasted building on the sand verses building on a rock.
God is that firm foundation that sustains us in contrast to the shifting sand of other things in this world.
Rock of Gibraltar because that sends the message of steadfast reliability.
“The LORD is my rock….”
“My fortress”—“My Fort” A fortified position in a strategic location—like a castle with a moat around it.
It’s a place of defense and safety.
“My deliverer”—
God delivered him from enemies that were too strong for him.
Remember David was used by God to be a deliverer for King Saul.
When nobody else would fight Goliath, David stepped forward and defeated Saul’s enemy for him.
“My God” –
Hebrew word is 'el which can be translated Almighty.
The power of God is emphasized.
“My shield” – The one who protects me.
“The horn of my salvation”—a horn speaks of power. The rhinoceros, the bull, uses his horn to assert strength.
David is saying that the Lord is the power behind his salvation.
It wasn’t his weapons.
Weapons may have been involved. But David knew God was the ultimate source of deliverance and victory was God in his valley and need.
“My Stronghold”
Devil wants to put strongholds on us but David is saying that God is his stronghold-
Valleys are low points in your life. They could be relational, emotional, financially, spiritual, Sometimes you are so low you can’t even tell others how low it is.
I have some very good news for you- God cares for you!
So quickly, what about the mountain tops?
Most forget about God until they are in the valleys and calling out for God’s help and most when they are on the mountain top and life is good forget about God because they believe that they got their in their own strength and ability.
Navigating the Mountain tops
What does mountaintop experiences means? To me it is being at the top of your game. Things could not get better- Everything is going as planned and there are no surprises and there are no enemies trying to push you off the mountain and if there is they are quickly handled and under control.
This expression has originated from the Bible because of the dealings God had with His people on various “mountain-tops”. So the phrase has come to mean a moment of transcendence – or epiphany; and in particular an experience of significant revelation given by God.
Higher ground is a position of advantage, superiority and dominion. It is never a crowded place.
Ways to reach and stay on the higher grounds as a believer-
Keep Walking in the Light:
1 John 1:7
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
God’s Light gives us knowledge.
He is the true Light and Satan cannot comprehend that Light.
John 1:4-5
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. “
Light kills darkness.
Jesus keeps us on track and focused on the right things.
Psalm 18:37-39
“I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.”
When I got serious about the Lord, I had to learn the lingo- I didn’t know what they were talking about
Hold on- let go
Press in- move away
Tarry at the altar- it is like reading King James version of the bible with hither and thou’s- hard to understand.
Lost in the spirit- slain in the spirit- Back Sliden condition- washed in the blood and wanting God to give you a double portion- they all make sense once you are talking the same language and understanding what it means.
Valleys bad- mountaintop good-
God can use both to get you back focused on him. Both places are dangerous when your eyes are off of Him.
Close-
Draw close to the shepherd/ in the valley- draw close to the shepherd/mountaintop/ stay close to the shepherd.
Isaiah 43:1-3
“But now, this is what the Lord says- he who created you O Jacob, he who formed you O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have summoned you by name, you are mine, 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 in the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God.”
Resist the lies that God is far from you- “Draw near to him and he will draw near to you “
Talk to the Shepherd
He needs to be a part of every part of your life
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” psalm 34:18
Keep Walking with the Shepherd
Psalm 23:4-“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
Don’t stay in the dark valley- keep walking through it with the Lord
Praise and worship him-
No matter what stage of life - The Lord’s presence changes everything!
