… walking through the valley … (1)
Whenever the road we are walking gets hard, so steep that it steals our breath or so low that it compresses our spirits, we long for flat land.
When life becomes a challenge, we reach for the EASY BUTTON.
While we may head to the mountains on vacation, seeking their soaring vistas or the coolness of the fertile valley floor which separates them, we secretly pray for flat land for our daily journey.
Many Christians have the unreal expectation that our spiritual life will always be level. (2)
When we are tested by God, forced to wade through the valley and to make the steep climb from their depths, we frequently complain to Him that he is not doing His job, that He is unjust and unfair.
How often have you visited a loved-one in ICU at the hospital and been mesmerized by the monitor above their head? I have frequently stared at these monitors watching lines rise and fall either with consistency or with jagged irregularity.
Regardless of which line I am watching, I find myself wondering, “Is that good or is it bad?”
While I cannot judge whether the line’s slope, peaks, and valleys are a good sign, I do know one thing, a line with peaks and valleys is better than a flat-line!
If a patient flatlines, a Code Blue is sent through out the hospital. Doctors and nurses come running with carts, machines, and meds. They have one goal: restore the line to one with peaks and valleys!
Without the peaks and valleys, the patient remains dead.
Christians who pray that God make their lives a smooth plain are, unknowingly, praying for their death.
When you are walking through the valley do not fear because the Lord your God is looking for the perfect moment to mount you up on eagle’s wings. (3)
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Psalm 23:4
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Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
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Isaiah 40:31 (Read also Psalm 91).
Bread Crumbs - Devotions for Life 