Survival in the valley

“We had just got on the road to drive home. My wife and I were leaving North Carolina and headed back west out of North Carolina. They western part of the state is an adventure to drive through. The interstate (and all roads really) go directly through the Appalachian mountain range. As we drove through the beautiful fall scenery we passed up and down elevation. We would twist left and right around corners. Often both up or down and left or right at the same time. The speed limit is reduced in this area out of caution. It would be very easy to lose control and end up in a very bad accident out of ignorance. Eventually, we ended up in a few valleys. The time was passing in the afternoon and the sun was beginning its route downward behind the mountains. Though driving west and facing the sun, these valleys are so deep between the mountains we began to be overshadowed. Meaning we did not see the sun nor were we in direct sunlight. We had light with us but not that direct warmth of the sun shining into the windshield. Honestly I was relieved to be able to see clearly for a moment! It was in one of these valleys I had a small bit of anxiety for a brief second. I began to think why? Why am I anxious? Quickly, The Lord had given me an answer. You are sensing conditions similar to your past. “You are in a valley physically but it resembles the emotional and spiritual valleys you had come out of in the past.” Said The Lord. I began to think about this and scripture started to flood my mind. The physical valley was becoming a teachable moment in that moment.

As I thought about the similarities of the valley I began to ponder why the anxiety. Then the answer came from The Lord. “Your response to survive the valley was for you to control the environment. You have tried to survive without my help before you knew ME. You did your best to control the environment. However, just as the sun I created shines directly on the mountain tops so is my light present with you in the valley.” This was a watershed moment for me! I was gaining understanding spiritually in this moment while physically experiencing a lesson from The Holy Spirit. This is similar to how the disciples sat with Jesus and ate and asked “Why” “What did that mean Lord.” Then as I continued to drive I immediately asked my wife to begin to take pictures of these mountains and valleys. They do not even come close to displaying the sheer size and reality as being in the moment while driving in them. She was wondering why I was so excited and wanted these images. Then I told her God was showing me some things. The Lord began to open my heart and let me understand some more. When we are in the valley HE is there also! The Lord is omnipresent. He can be and do whatever HE wants in His Creation. Everything is under His control -everything. All of the sudden the presence of God relieved my anxiety for that moment and The Lord explained the whole thing to me.

When we go into a valley we often struggle because of our flesh; our humanity struggles. We were born into sin: separation from God’s perfect presence. Innately we are looking to do whatever we can to gain control because we are trying to survive. We are sentenced to die. We also have the breath of life in us. We are willed by God to live. Try to kill yourself by simply holding your breath. You cannot do it. You will eventually begin to breath because your body will force itself to try and live. The breath of life will not allow you to take your life without some tool besides your own body. BUT the body is also sentenced to die. You will die someday. So internally mankind struggles trying to live while knowing it is going to die. What is the solution? Control! If we can somehow manipulate life we can get the most out of it or live longer at least. It is part of the insanity that sin created inside of us. We were created to live forever but cannot like we are currently. Out of this deep inner desire to control comes multiple things. Manipulation, anxiety, depression, madness, fear, physical force, panic, ect. There are also some better things that come from it: a deep desire to get up and find an answer. Thank God HE gave us an answer for this age: Jesus Christ. The Lord gives to us hope. We are given faith. We are given peace. When we are saved and reconciled to God, we are given these things and more in The Spirit. These Spiritual things are stronger than the human Earthly things in the material word we live in. They appear weak but in reality are stronger.

What I began to be taught from God was becoming simple to understand as I passed through the valleys. I desire to control so I can create my own safety and preserve my own life. If I were in these mountain valleys alone I would need to build a shelter. Then I would need a fire. Then weapons would be needed. I would need to forage food and use my (lackluster) hunting skills. I could make it out here with a plan! I would have a ton of fear and a ton of mental anguish out here but I would survive! Oddly God allowed me to see this is how many Christians approach spiritual life. When we are on the mountain tops of life, we take it easy. God is so present with us that we just enjoy the light. The direct presence of God. The provision. We don’t expect enemies here. We don’t expect them because if they were here God would simply flick them off of us. Most of us have been taught that Satan hates the presence of God so he wouldn’t show up on the mountaintop. This is not true because God commanded Him to give a report at the throne of God in Job but that is another blog post, I digress. Well, the fact is the devil does sit in the valleys of life. He lurks in the shadows. He also is in the other areas of the mountain as well. We just do not see the need to worry about him on the mountain top much. WHY? Simple: God’s directly there! You see in the valley, it’s dark. The valley doesn’t have direct sunshine and in the spirit there’s God’s presence but its often “feeling” like less or non-existent. That is carnal thinking and mind set though. You see the light goes wherever it can. Even in the valley I was traveling in, I didn’t need headlights on. I could see perfectly fine. So it is God is with us in the valley. I also noticed the richest soil and the largest amount of plant life was in the valley. The minerals and soil is sent downhill in natural process. Water, gravity, and natural seasons allow the nutrients needed for an environment of growth are in the valley. The water in the valley is filtered from on high also. The more I thought, the more I saw that there was abundant life in the valley. It was all around. There was not just survival but lots of life in the valley! Nature seemed to be testifying of God to me. Spiritually, we have no control in the valley. That is at its core your problem. It is my problem. It is mankind’s problem. We desire total control and in the valley God is stripping it all away from us! It is like torture to the flesh! It invokes all of the carnal survival skills like fear, anxiety, ect. This is so God can draw all of those sinful things out of our souls. He is extracting it from us in the valley. God is teaching us to rest in Him in the valley. Here is the kicker: The mountains were tall and steep. They were intimidating. The fact that bears are out there was a fearful thought. But the worst thing was the shadow! It represented darkness. It gave the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and a need to just give up. The shadow was the most menacing foe. I can run from a bear or shoot it or something. I can climb a mountain. I cannot stop the shadow in anyway but Jesus Christ, The Light of the world can! I have learned something in this drive. The next time I have fear or doubt, I have to just rest in The Holy Spirit. Say to myself “Be still my soul.” I must embrace the words of our wonderful Saviour. “I WILL NEVER leave or forsake YOU.” I absolutely will memorize and begin to live in faith like David the king. “Though I walk the the valley of the SHADOW of death I will fear no evil.” It is all just a battle from within. Yes, the spirits and demons of hell try to attack. Their attack is this: To whisper lies to you and touch your spirit and persuade you to believe their lies. Then the flesh will quiver in a sign of acceptance of the lie. Next you’ll convince yourself that what you feel is real so it must be true. This is how the enemy tries to control us. The enemies of the spirit attempt to manipulate our flesh and thinking so we will try and control our own destinies. The remedy is and has always been The Holy Spirit! Simply free fall in the spirit into His presence and promises. Simply make decisions and then actions based on the word of God. Be a doer and watch the desire for control slip away. Do this all in faith in Jesus Christ and you are guaranteed victory. It may not happen when you feel it is time but it will happen when The Lord knows it is time!

I have become comfortable in the valleys of life now. I know that God’s presence is as much in the valley as on the mountain top. Light is light no matter the directness of it. Think on that for a moment. Read that one liner again and truly think about it. The light is never less. Where light is present you will have things visible. One day we will directly be before the King and it will be better than the current way we experience our lives with God. That does not mean God is not with us currently. I am convinced HE IS! I am comfortable in the valley because there are many resources in the valley. We just need to look around and see what God sees not see our need to control every stinking thing! God created the valley so He also has resources in it. Life is there, even if it is not the type we want. There are still provisions here. I am finally comfortable in the valley with shadows. This is because without light you do not get a shadow! When I was in sin I was in a valley of death with no way out! The light of God shined in my life and I saw the shadows I once feared but didn’t see. A shadow of death is only revealing The God of light! One day this curtain will be removed and the full spiritual life will be experienced in present time! The shadow is only the curse of Adam’s sin. That’s why it is so scary in the valley. We think we are forsaken but when you get a true understanding, by faith, that you are not alone and the shadow will one day be cast away, there will never be a “bad” season of life again for you! You will suffer things but you will learn to embrace and praise God in the suffering. This is because it’s temporary and expected since the world is a fallen place. The valley is one of the most important places of life. It is there we find God truly by faith because we cannot control a thing. You do not and will not find faith inside yourself on the mountain top moments. Those are the moments God just presents things. Faith is found and developed in the valley. The nutrients and minerals are there. The purified water is there. The Spirit nourishes us there. I will never view valleys the same way again after this drive.