“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” —Psalm 23:1
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.” —Psalm 23:2
“He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” —Psalm 23:3
“Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” —Psalm 23:4
1) Valleys are
.
“In this world you WILL have trouble.” —Jesus, John 16:33b
2) Valleys are
.
“Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an INSTANT my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a MOMENT.” —Jeremiah 4:20
3) Valleys are
.
“He [God] causes His sun to rise on the evil AND the good, and sends rain on the righteous AND the unrighteous.” —Jesus, Matthew 5:45
4) Valleys are
.
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now FOR A LITTLE WHILE you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” —1st Peter 1:6
5) Valleys are
.
“And we KNOW that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His PURPOSE.” —Romans 8:28
What to Do in Dark Valleys
1)
to be discouraged.
“Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” —2nd Corinthians 11:23-28
“Therefore we DO NOT LOSE HEART. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” —2nd Corinthians 4:16-18
What to Do in Dark Valleys
2)
that God is with me.
“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 through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” —Isaiah 43:2
What to Do in Dark Valleys
3)
on God’s protection and direction.
“I am the LIGHT of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” —Jesus, John 8:12
Everyone experiences deep valleys, so the difference for followers of Jesus is not the absence of the shadow but the
of the .