when you find yourself in a valley |continued|

We’ve all been there. We’ve all been at that place where we couldn’t see straight, that place where nothing made sense; we’ve all walked through one of those valleys at some point in our lives. Earlier this week I was reading through some of my old notes and I was encouraged and challenged with a particular few, some of which I’ve already shared through my blog. I planned to finish sharing the rest of them the following day but somehow life happened: crazy busy real life, and time flew right out the window. So, after being delayed a few days, I now find myself sitting here by my open window, listening to the rain and finally feeling like I am able to breath, finally able to slow down for a moment and just be here, all of me here in His presence.  I was compelled to read Hebrews chapter twelve before writing anything else, and I after I finished I was almost tempted to write out the entire chapter below because it is such a powerful and encouraging word, it sums up everything and it was just what I needed to hear,

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

  I feel almost as if my simple notes are just an afterthought proceeding those verses. However, the reminders that these notes have presented are found time and again throughout His word and still I am challenged by them and inspired to share them . . .  

 

When You Find Yourself in a Valley

- Stay Connected

two are better than one, woe to him who is alone – read Ecclesiastics 4 - when you are in a valley, you can’t see straight, but believe that God is moving!

When we find ourselves walking through a valley, the hardship we are facing, the pain we are experiencing, and the very idea of a valley can cause us to take our eyes off of the focus: which is Jesus. Things around us may become unclear and seem distorted but when we have a focus we know that we have a hope and a destination; not in the valley, but far beyond it. In Psalm 23:4 it says “I walk through the valley”. There is an absolute hope that we are going to get out of the valley we are in, but sometimes it takes time. Sometimes that walk through it, tries our patience, our faith, and things start to get even more distracting around us. That’s when we have to press in like never before so that we don’t loose focus, so we don’t take our eyes off of Jesus.  

- Stay Connected

Don’t loose focus! – read Hebrews 12! - refuse to take your eyes off of God’s promises the power is in the cross, keep your eyes on the cross

When we take our focus off of God, our eyes immediately focus in on our fears, our doubts, the pain, and our own plans about how to make it out of the valley on our own. That’s where we tend to loose it. That’s the moment when our focus is disrupted and in its place all of these distractions come flooding in. That’s why it is so important to stay focused. We should want to stay so focused on Him and His promises, so that we can make it through the valley as quick as we can. Pressing into his word and grasping the fullness of his promises and the hope that they bring is the only thing that will get us through. He promises us that we are not destined to stay in the valley, but to move through it. "God has planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:40 “ I consider that our present sufferings are not compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18