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 17:1-4

As I’ve matured and become familiar with the truth of Jesus Christ, I’ve learned to recognize what part of the covenant I’m responsible for, and what part God takes care of. The facts are salvation, holiness, and righteousness is all taken care of for me by Almighty God…Jesus Christ.

When He said, “It is finished”

Everything that we in our natural ability could not do for ourselves, the Lord in His supernatural power completed for us. There is one thing that we are responsible for however, that is to partner with God in what He has established for us.

“Yeah right” you might think.

“All I’ll do is fall on my face again” you say.

But once we’ve accepted Jesus into our lives we aren’t the same.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”2 Corinthians 5:17

By faith in Jesus we who were dead in our sin and falling short of Holiness, were made alive in Christ and made righteous through His blood.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”2 Corinthians 5:21

One thing that freed me up was when I understood what God truly desires of me. When God told Abram to walk before Him blameless, He meant whole, or unimpaired, or abiding entirely with truth, the word in the Hebrew actually means “Perfect”. As we learn in the New Testament we can walk perfectly before the Lord by the blood of Jesus Christ and in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. By Christ’s blood I’m no longer impaired by sin, and by the power of God’s Holy Spirit I am able to abide in the truth of God’s word.

The part of the covenant that I am responsible for is that I choose to receive all that God has done for me by faith, therein the power of the Holy Spirit strengthens me supernaturally to “abide in the light as He is in the Light” (1 John 1:5-10). God will never make that decision for me; it is our choice by our God given free will to respond to God’s gracious love. This is what is so amazing and unique about Christianity. If we by faith choose to trust in Jesus and keep in step with the Spirit we aren’t left to go at it all alone.

All other religions will tell you that if you can’t earn it or if you don’t measure up you’re a lost cause…but Jesus Christ tells us, “His yoke is easy and His burden is light” He partners in salvation with us, “working in us to both will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13).

No matter how many times you find yourself falling flat on your face, God is there saying, “behold, My covenant is with YOU!”

Genesis 17:1-4

God once again begins a conversation with Abram. Not more than a moment after God tells Abram to walk before Him, Abram falls on his face. In a sense the same is true for all of us, God desires us to be “Holy as He is Holy” (Lev. 11:44, 45 1 Peter 1:16) and calls us to “walk worthy of the gospel we have received” (Eph.4), but the fact is we all fall short of His glory and fall on our faces.

When I was younger in my walk with the Lord this used to bum me out big time. Every time I heard God’s voice speaking love and life towards me, I would be tugged down by the enemy’s lying voice. I would hear him telling me, “You’re a mess up.” Failure after failure would be like another weight that I would carry and after a while I felt as though this whole Christian life was too heavy for me to handle. I would have thoughts like:

I could never measure up.

I could never be righteous enough.

I could never be holy as God wants me to be holy.

God went through all that trouble on the cross to save me but I just keep blowing it and letting Him down.

The wonderful truth is that God’s voice is never one of “accusation” but of “affirmation”.

As Abram fell God didn’t scold him, God came near and said, “As for me, behold, My covenant is with you” in other words God told Abram, “You’re the guy I want to bless, even though you don’t have it all together, I want to bless you.” God’s covenant stood firm, the only thing that could separate Abram from the blessings was if he chose not to walk with the Lord. Had Abram said, “This all sounds good… but I’m not interested.” God would have let him go. But like Noah, and Enoch before him, Abram now had the opportunity to walk with God…and he did.

The same choice is in front of us daily. God simply asks if we will choose to agree, believe, and obey we too will see our blessings “multiply exceedingly”.

“Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.”

Genesis 6:22

This verse speaks volumes about the man that Noah was.  Living in a place that wasn’t anywhere close to a major body of water, and in a time where there was no such thing as rain, Noah builds a massive boat. I’m sure his neighbors weren’t very understanding when they would ask about the latest project.

“Hey Noah, what’s going on?”

“I’m building a boat to hold every species of animal in the world, my boys and their wives, and myself and my wife.”

“Why?”

“God told me to, because He plans to destroy everyone but me and my family.”

I can see that conversation not ending so well.  First of all everyone in that time didn’t acknowledge The Lord as God of all, except for Noah, and apparently his boys, otherwise grace wouldn’t have been shown to them.  So “God told me to do it” would sound strange to all of Noah’s neighbors.  Secondly, Noah didn’t know that God as going to send a flood, God only told Him He was going to destroy, so Noah had no idea why He was building the ark except for the fact that God specifically told Him to do so.

Have you ever been in this place? 

God tells you something, and doesn’t tell you why, He just tells you to go and do it.  Common sense is telling you your wrong in obeying, everyone watching is telling you you’re crazy. 

Anyone who desires to be completely identified with Jesus Christ, and walk with Him will eventually find themselves at one time or another in this place.  You see, this is the place of faith testing.  God will allow you to come to a point in your walk where there is no other choice but abiding in faith.  It will expose where your heart is at, what your really trusting in, who your strength and acceptance comes from.  Paul would explain the purpose of this is so that, “nothing would be able to move you, and you would no longer count your life dear unto yourself.” (Acts 20:24)

Oswald Chambers, in regard to this place of “obedience through faith”, said this:

“It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment.  You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God.  But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis.

What do I really count dear?  If I have not been gripped by Jesus Christ, I will count service dear, time given to God dear, my life dear unto myself.  Paul says he counted his life dear only in order that he might fulfill the ministry he had received; he refused to use his energy for any other thing.  Acts 20:24 states Paul’s almost sublime annoyance at being asked to consider himself; he was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received.  Practical work may be a competitor against abandonment to God, because practical work is based on this argument – Remember how useful you are here, or – Think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.  That attitude does not put Jesus Christ as the Guide as to where we should go, but our judgment as to where we are of must use.  Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not your own but His.”

Oswald Chambers (March 4 Excerpt from “My utmost for His highest”)

We don’t know if Noah was an experienced boat builder; much less a carpenter. The only thing we know is that he heard God’s voice, listened to the call, and did only what God instructed to do. When God calls He will always provide you with the means, know how, and strength to carry it out.  When God has complete run of our lives, He then has complete control over where He can send us, empowering us to go and fulfill His desires.  This is walking with God.  We’ll find our usefulness for the Lord isn’t in our talents, or ministry, or even our determined convictions.  Our usefulness to the Lord will be in direct proportion to our faith in the Lord.

“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.  And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.   So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”

Genesis 6:9-12

The rest of the world was corrupt, but Noah was different.  What is it that singled one guy out from so many other people?  Noah walked with God!  For so long I”ve heard this phrase thrown around churches like the solution for life.  “Just walk with God, and everything will be alright!”, we tell ourselves.

Here’s the dilemma.  What does walking with God mean?

Well the Bible tells us it means two things…It means being just and being perfect.

When I first understood this I was discouraged.  I know these two traits and my name aren’t usually used in the same sentence.  However, when I looked at the Hebrew meaning of these words I see a picture of what Jesus does for us in our less than perfect state.

The word “tsaddiyq” in the Hebrew is the word “Just” that we read of in the Bible.  It means “to be righteous in conduct and character”.  In Hebrew the primitive root of the word “tsaddiyq” is “tsadaq” which means “to be justified, to be put right, or made right”.  

“Tamiym”, the Hebrew word for “perfect” means “to be in complete or entire agreement with truth and fact”.  So the Bible isn’t saying, “Noah is “Just” and ”perfect” all on his own, because he is that amazing!”  We see through the Hebrew he is “justified” meaning “to be put right or made right” because he agreed entirely with God’s truth. 

Noah wasn’t some super great guy that God looked at and said, “Wow! This guy really deserves to not be destroyed.” 

The only reason God gave Noah grace was because he had faith. 

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Hebrews 11:7

Noah was declared Just and Perfect because he agreed that God was true and what God claimed was fact (Heb. 11:6).  By giving God the proper respect He deserves, and in faith obeying everything God told Him to do, Old Noah got a boat when everyone else had to tread water. 

And so it is with you and me, we on our own are just like every other person, corrupt and deserving death.  The hope lies in being made righteous, by putting your faith in Jesus Christ.  So when we believe by faith and agree that God’s facts are entirely true, we are declared righteous, abiding with God. 

We get grace instead of condemnation. 

When things start going under, God boards us onto His ship of salvation. 

“This is the genealogy of Noah.  Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.  And Noah begot three sons:  Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

Genesis 6:9

Before the word gives mention of Noah’s genealogy it stops to give us the scoop on Noah. 

Parents take note, Noah’s character is considered, followed by his children.  Who you are will always effect what your kids follow.  Just as his ancestor Enoch, Noah was known as a man who walked with God.   I think it’s safe to assume somehow that legacy was passed on. 

I can picture generation after generation, parents telling their kids bedtime stories of how their relative, Enoch, was so close to God that “he was no more”.  I can just picture little Noah hearing these stories and his little passionate heart purposed he would walk with the Lord in the same way. 

So we see, the way we live our lives, walking with or away from God, will essentially support or hinder the “walk” of the generations that follow.  I’m stoked that Noah made such a great choice.

Why? 

If Noah had decided he just wanted to fit it, go with the flow just like everyone else, if he valued his friends acceptance more than God’s favor, there would be a big problem.

…he would have fit in.

Receiving the same destruction everyone else did.  You and I wouldn’t be here. 

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  For we have spentenough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.  In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.  They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

1 Peter 4:1-6

Sometimes we fall into this mode of thinking that our lives will never amount to much, we’ll be “ho-hum” just like everyone else, and we’ll live out life, collect retirement, pat our kids on the heads and check out.

The truth is God has huge plans for each and every individual life.

How do I know this?

Because His Son died on the cross so that you might have a life.

Commitment begins somewhere, just like Noah did, will you walk with God?

“So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.  And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

Genesis 5:23, 24

In Amos 3:3 the prophet speaks to the nation of Israel, God’s children, asking them “Can two walk together unless they have agreed?”  During a time of prosperity Israel figured they would call the shots and God would do the following…not more than thirty years later Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.  In their rapid decline the main message God continued to deliver through Amos was Israel was walking in the wrong direction.  He asked them to stop, return to Him, and walk with Him.

 How do we walk with the Lord?

First, by agreeing with Him.  It’s not by making common sense decisions and then asking God to come and bless your plans so they can happen.  It’s not by determining how you will best serve Jesus.  Walking with God is exclusively found by agreeing with Him, by saying, “God I agree that Your way is best and I am agreeing to follow and obey You in those ways.”  Enoch did that…and it says that, “He was no more.”

The phrase, “He was no more” does not mean Enoch stopped existing, as if suddenly he joined the dinosaurs in extinction.  God actually took him; Enoch got raptured to Heaven without experiencing a physical death.  This truth never ceases to bless me.   When considering how this story practically applies to everyday life, I came across a quote by Oswald Chambers. 

It reads:

“Our Lord warns that the devout life of a disciple (one who walks with God) is not a dream, but a decided discipline which calls for the use of all his or her powers.  No amount of determination can give me the new life of God.  That is a gift; where the determination comes in is in letting that new life work itself out according to Christ’s standard.  We are always in danger of confounding what we can do with what we cannot do.  We cannot save ourselves, or sanctify ourselves (sanctify means to be made Holy as God is Holy), or give ourselves the Holy Spirit; only God can do these things.  Confusion continually occurs when we try to do what God alone can do, and try to persuade ourselves that God will do what we alone can do.  We imagine that God is going to make us walk in the light; God will not; it is we who must walk in the light.  God gives us the power to do it, but we have to see that we use the power.  God puts the power and the life into us and fills us with His Spirit, but we have to work it out.  “Work out your own salvation,” says Paul, not, “work for your salvation,”  But work it out; and as we do, we realize that the noble life of a disciple is gloriously difficult and the difficulty of it rouses us up to overcome, not faint and cave in.  It is always necessary to make an effort to be noble.”

Oswald Chambers (studies in the Sermon on the Mount pg.94)

I wonder how many times we’ve done this.  We try to get God to do what He’s given us the responsability to do, and then we try to do the things which God has said He has accomplished.  No wonder so many christians are burnt out with frustration and confusion, being a disciple isn’t supposed to be that way! 

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s my family and some friends would go down to Washington D.C. to the “March for Life”.  People from all over the United States would gather to march for miles at the nation’s capital.  I remember minutes seemed to be hours, and each footstep seemed to suck the life out of me.  I never came close to finishing the march.  Each time my little legs started to slow down I remember an outstretched hand was always offered from Jim, a close friend of the family.  He would see me dragging my feet and come over asking me if I wanted to ride his shoulders to the finish.  This was the point in time when I looked Jim square in the eyes and said, “no thanks, I can do this on my own!” and I sent him packing… 

NO WAY!  You better believe I accepted the offer quicker than he could finish the sentence!  I was climbing up his leg like a monkey, knowing his power would get me to where I was destined to be.  As Enoch, I became “no more” as I deferred myself to the power of Jim’s legs and his choice of where we were heading.

Our relationship with God is the same way. He graciously comes and offers His power so we might walk in His power to the destination He knows is best.  Often times we are so blinded by our own ideas of who is in control that we never accept the Lords power and find ourselves too pooped to go on. 

Enoch walked with God. 

He agreed to do things by God’s desire, through God’s power…and God took him home to heaven.

If you’re experiencing Hell in your life, could it be because you aren’t entirely agreeing with God?  Maybe the path you have chosen to go down has lead you to a broken heart, or compromised situation, possibly sin?

The moment we submit, stop debating, and return to the Lord in agreement will be the moment God scoops us up and delivers us into the wonder, peace, and blessing of Heaven on earth.