When you are in the valley...

Have you ever gone through times when nothing seemed to be going your way? I've actually heard someone in a situation like that once tell me, "I feel like the entire universe is conspiring against me!"

If you are going through something like this, remember, 'valley experiences' can do one of two things; they can draw us closer to God or they can make us angry with Him.

None of us really like to admit that we've ever been angry with God. You may have never screamed out loud, "God, how could you let this happen?!" but when things have gone all wrong, you may have said things like "Life's just like that!" That statement isn't directed to God but it shows that you don't believe that God is in control of your life.

Then there are times when we set our hopes on God and our desires are not fulfilled. So we refuse to hope again. Sound familiar? Well, that's another way of showing indirect anger toward God. It's like saying, "God you didn't perform last time so why should I hope again?"

Getting angry with God doesn't accomplish much. We know all too well what happened to Cain when his anger was aroused against God (Genesis 4). He knew he couldn't do anything to God, so he went out and killed his brother. We also know that from then on, Cain was under a curse!

The interesting thing, however, is that even after Cain was angry with God, God came after him. God said to him, "Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4: 6-7)

It's almost like God came after Cain to cheer him up. Not just that, He even cared enough to warn him of sin. It's not Cain's anger but what he did with it that caused him to come under the curse!

There may be times when you don't understand why God doesn't stop horrible things from happening to us. Job didn't understand either. He questioned God. He said things like Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? Obviously, he wasn't asking his friends these things. They wouldn't have had the answer anyway. These questions were directed to God.

Job asked God plenty of questions but not once were those questions accusatory. He did not charge God with wrong. He cried out to God, he pleaded his case before God, but he never blamed God.

Finally, God did answer Job out of a whirlwind. But when God spoke he didn't answer all of Job's questions or give him a long-drawn-out explanation for his horrible afflictions. Instead, God assured Job of His power and might. Above all, He comforted Job!

In our darkest, lowest moments, we may not have a bunch of friends around us to cheer us up. Worse still, we may have friends like Job who believe that we have called these unfortunate things upon ourselves by our unrighteous actions.

At those moments, we need to run to our Father. Tell Him how we feel and not hide anything from Him because He knows us inside out and He loves us more than anyone ever could.

In Psalm 23: 4 (AMP) David says, "Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me."

That's exactly what we need to do in the valley -- allow our loving heavenly Father to comfort us.

There have been times in my life when I've been down in the valley and I've run to God and though the situation didn't change immediately, His comfort was more than enough for me. Lean on Him when you pass through the valley, and watch Him lift you to the mountaintops!