Psalm 23:4

Take a good look at what David is saying here. 

He didn’t say, “…though I walk to the valley…”

No, he clearly states, “Yea, though I walk through the valley…” 

Sometimes in the midst of the darker moments in life we tend to lose our bearings on where our destination is.  When things start to get tough there is the temptation to wonder if God has abandoned us in the valley moments of life.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!  In fact, the valley moments are the special places where we see the Lord working so clearly and faithfully through our soul and into our spirit.

As he grew up I’m sure he never imagined all the time he would spend in the valley, much less the result it would bring in his life.  Raised in a family where dad had four wives, it would seem that dysfunctional would be an understatement for our guy.  From early in his childhood he was traveling, not because he was touring the world but because his dad had the family fleeing his mother’s brother.  Finally that uncle caught up to them and through deception they separated ways, things went from bad to worse when his mother’s health starts failing.  On top of an already hard time comes more bad news when he learns that his uncle on his father’s side is now marching towards them after many years of bad blood.  Not knowing what that uncle’s intentions where dad decides to send the family ahead to intercept the uncle hoping that he would have mercy on women and children.  Eventually that relationship is cleared up and instead of going to meet up with his brother; dad lies again and relocates the family farther away where mom die’s en route during childbirth, when they finally settle down his sister gets raped by one of the locals of the town, enraged his two older brother’s head out on a vengeful killing spree annihilating all the men of the village.  Eventually all of his older brothers get jealous of him, throwing him in an old cistern while they decide if they should kill him or sell him into slavery.  Sold into slavery he gets carried away to a foreign country, works hard for many years winning favor in his masters house only to be falsely accused and thrown into jail for a crime that he didn’t commit.  Finally, when he thought that he would rot in jail till his pathetic life was over.  Then it happened, the Lord lead him “through” the valley and made him the second greatest man in a nation and saving the lives of an entire empire, including the brothers that treated him so horribly.  

Most of us don’t have it this bad.  However, we can all relate to dark times in life.  We’re told in the Psalms that God lead Joseph through these valleys because in these times of testing is where his soul was made to be as iron.  Sometimes we see our own lives and are convinced that the trials and testing will only devour us, but what the Lord worked in the life of Joe is also being worked into our character through our hard and hopeless times. 

As sheep of the shepherd it’s important to understand that we aren’t meant to be comfortable sheep, instead He desires to have healthy and mature sheep.  Maturity is only possible through the strain and pain of running into the hard and challenging moments of life.  Through the instruction and gracious love of our relationship with Jesus we find our journey through the valley is a necessary route leading and preparing us for the glorious heights of intimate victory that await us .

Genesis 8:1

Sitting on the floor of his cell, he buries his head in his hands.  He tries to make sense of the events that lead him to this prison.  His jealous brothers plotted to kill him, in their mercy they threw him down an empty cistern, later to be sold as a slave to a passing caravan.  Just when things seem to be getting better, everything gets horribly worse.  He is falsely accused of trying to rape his boss’ wife.

Life for Joseph wasn’t easy.  I’m sure at some point or another he might have thought, “Where is God?” “Has He forgotten me?”  Although God used all these events to prepare Joseph for the salvation of the worldwide famine, in the darkness of the moment he must have thought God didn’t remember he was rotting away in prison…the baker and cup-bearer didn’t, that’s for sure.

Sometimes God allows us to go through long difficult times.  I’m sure after 40 days and nights of rain Noah began to wonder if God had forgotten His promise of grace and hope.  We might look at these great men of the faith and think they just cruised through their situations, the fact is they were human just like you and I.  I’m sure they wrestled with their thoughts and emotions as well.  The truth is they didn’t have chapter after chapter of the Bible to tell them the story was going to end well, or everything was going to be okay.  They were blazing the trail of faith for you and I.  They were learning to listen to God, and respond in faith in the midst of their circumstance, just like us.  Noah was in a poorly lit zoo for over a month without any word from God.  He didn’t hear a peep…not a word…no sunshine…no potpourri…smelly animals…no encouragement…he had one window to look through, and the view was cloudy. 

The scripture here tells us God “remembered” Noah.  During times of extended suffering sometimes our faith wanes, we grow weary in the waiting, and we’re tempted to believe God has forgotten.  This scripture lets us in on the truth…God remembered Noah…and the waters subsided.  In the quiet moments never doubt that God is working, when it seems as though God has forgotten, it may likely be that the flood of suffering is beginning to reside. 

If you find yourself today wondering, “Why is God silent?” “Why am I still in this situation?” “Why am I floating around and not moving forward?”…remember Noah’s story.  In the quiet moments, God remembers, and is working.