September
22, 2008
Dearest Sisters—
Autumn has come, another
season has passed. I thought to encourage
you this morning as the LORD has encouraged
me. I’m attempting to carefully guard
my thoughts as it seems these days are days
of uncertainty and despair all around us.
It’s as if the LORD is very quiet and a slow
darkness is hovering over the land – well,
that’s sort of how things look in the
valley: a dim covering threatens to hide the
light.
A valley can be a very
encouraging place – it doesn’t have to be a
place of discouragement – though we’re often
discouraged in the valleys of our lives.
Something I’ve had to remind myself lately,
is that the valley is not someplace to set
up camp or build a house – a valley is a
place we pass through – a place God carries
us through in order that He might prepare us
for the next climb – the next monument in
our lives. We (or, I) too often think that
the valley of despair is or is going to be a
permanent place – my eternal dwelling place
– and that’s simply not true. But it
surely seems like it sometimes.
I can recall passing
through valleys in my life and being sure
those valleys were permanent and the
conditions were never going to change.
I suppose it wasn’t until I determined to
look up – in the valley – and see the
Hand of the LORD, and see that He had
intended that time – that place – for my
good and His glory. I would not have
seen that had I continued to focus on
myself, my trials, my failings, my
disappointments. I only saw His glory
when I looked up (still in the
valley) to earnestly seek His face and His
will. Only then have I seen the Hand
of the LORD in the valley. I so often
have missed that the LORD has prepared a
valley for me so that I *will* seek
Him – so that I *will* praise Him.
One of the hardest things
to do in a valley is to sing praise to the
LORD. But I assure you, if you will
but stop, set your burden down and lift your
eyes and voice to the LORD, you will sing
praises… you will see His glory and
He will be your strength and
song.
“I will go
in the strength of the Lord GOD:
I will make mention of thy righteousness,
even of thine only.”
Psalm 71.16
When my way has seemed
dark and the only hope or strength has
seemed to fail, I find it difficult to have
hope – yet, I know that Jesus is my strength
and He only is my hope. But I have to
come to a place where I determine: *Thy*
will – not *my* will! One of
the hardest things in the valley is not the
path, but *my* will !
But I will
hope continually,
and will yet praise thee more and more.
Psalm 71.14
In the valley, I must
continually buffet my will and set my
resolve to trust in the LORD – the God of my
salvation. I cannot doubt in the
valleys what He’s taught me on the
mountaintops, and I cannot carelessly
squander the marvelous gifts He’s given me
along the way. Doubt and despair are
“gift squanderers” and murmuring and
complaining drain the reservoir of joy.
That’s where resolve to trust – resolve to
have faith in adversity is so needful.
I must determine to look
up… for the LORD has promised to neither
leave me nor forsake me. He has said:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall
renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall
run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40.31)
I know that His pruning is
for my good – for I know He loves me and is
continually working that I might reflect His
image and His glory. So, though
painful, His testings and His prunings are
needed that I might yield much fruit.
No testing is pleasant for the moment – as
no childbirth is pleasant for a moment – but
then the great blessing that follows is
immeasurable.
So then, my prayer
becomes: O, LORD, please let me not fail to
see Your Hand in this valley, and please
have Your will and Your way in me – that I
might give you all the praise, glory and
honour due Your name. O, please let me
not miss the work you are doing in and
through me and let me not dishonour You, nor
prove faithless or selfish in this valley.
O, LORD, please direct my path, finish the
work in me and help thou my unbelief – teach
me and show me Your ways. And… O, God
– make me thankful! Make me a woman who ever
lives to give You praise.
But the
path of the just is as the shining
light,
that shineth more and more unto the perfect
day.
Proverbs 4:18
O, dear sisters… if your
way is weary and the path looks dreary, I
pray you will hold on – I pray that God will
be your strength and your song and that you
will not despair. I pray that He will
strengthen you to trust Him – He is able!
I pray for you, this, from
Ephesians 3.17-21
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, May be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height; And to know
the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fulness
of God. Now unto him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that
worketh in us, Unto him be glory in
the church by Christ Jesus throughout all
ages, world without end. Amen.”
Again, may you never
forget in the valleys what God has taught
you on the mountaintops.
With sincere love,
your sister in Christ,
