Articles
God in the Valley
God in the Valley
The Syrians/Arameans had a view of God that restricted Him to certain locations. They claimed "Yahweh is one of the mountains but not of the valleys" (1 Kings 20:28). It was this toxic mentality that caused many defeats for those who underestimated God and His omni-presence. If one continues in the Hebrew scriptures, it is easy to see that God gives great victories, even in the valleys. The valley of Elah was a victory for David and his giant (1 Samuel 17). The valley of Berachah was a place of triumph for the Lord's army (2 Chronicles 20:26). The valley of Achor was first tragic, then a reminder of God's forward-thinking (Joshua 7; Hosea 2:15).
Valleys are about as common in the Bible as they are our everyday lives. If there's one lesson that both scripture and life teach us, it is that God is present. Period. God's presence is what allowed Jeremiah to start looking toward the future (Jer. 33). It was God's presence that pushed and motivated the people to continue with their work (Hag. 2). It was God's presence that allowed Jacob to flee from temptation (Gen. 39). The presence of God is a reality that pushes people to act extraordinarily.
If you're like me, you were reading through the different valleys in the first paragraph and got to the valley of Berachah. Chances are you didn't fluently pronounce that on the first try and kind of made up a pronunciation in your head and moved on. What's neat is this is actually in the context when King Jehoshaphat prayed "Lord, not sure what to do, but our eyes are on you" (2 Chronicles 20:12). Ever had a prayer like that? Though unsure of what actions to take, they trusted in God which led to victory. In honor of the victory, their joy motivated them to praise and they called the valley "Berachah" which means "blessing."
Though not always cognizant of it, God's presence is a reality. If we attempt a valley alone, darkness is inevitable. If we attempt a valley with Him, Light is available (John 8:12). Satan tries to make valleys a trap, yet God can turn them into a blessing. I think that's pretty awesome.
P.S. God loves you more than you know.
--Tyler King
