Discover comfort and hope during life’s toughest moments. Read “When You Are Going Through A Valley In Life – God’s Promises.” Explore biblical passages and insights that illuminate God’s unwavering faithfulness, revealing how His promises provide strength and guidance even in the darkest valleys. Embrace the journey with renewed faith and learn to trust in God’s plan for your life.
When You Are Going Through A Valley In Life
We all have timelines we carry in our hearts. Some of us even maintain unspoken and mental lists we keep private from others. These can be goals, achievements, or accomplishments we expect to be carried out by a specific date, age, or year. When those milestones don’t come in the order or timing we imagined, it can feel like something’s gone wrong. Or maybe even like God has forgotten us.
By this age, I thought I’d be married.
By that year, I thought I’d have a baby.
I figured I’d already be published, promoted, or living in a different zip code by now.
It can be depressing waiting for our expectations to come to fruition. We can get excited and energized when working toward a goal, but when life throws us a curveball, an unexpected outcome, we begin to spiral.
Maybe you are navigating through the loss of a loved one or working through the growing pains of divorce. You may be left wondering, Why has God allowed these things to happen in my life? There will be answers we may never know, but here is one thing I want you to know. God loves you, and He will never leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
God sees the big picture; we only see in the here and now. What we believe to be the best answer may not be the case. Right now, some of us are experiencing the same thing day after day – a financial test, a test in our marriage, or a test in our perseverance. You think, how long can I keep doing this?
Let me be frank, maybe it has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with God’s call on your life. Here is the truth: His timing is not just different—it’s better.
Sometimes the delays are protection.
Sometimes they’re preparation.
But they are never a punishment.
Here are five things you can do right now, as you wait on God in the valley.
Talk With Jesus
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. Psalms 145:18-19 ESV
I love to talk. I will talk to just about anyone, but there are days when I forget to talk to Jesus. These are the days when I feel rushed to get out the door or to get to work ASAP. Missing talks with Jesus will shift our days, and not in a good way.
Talking with Jesus is like taking our daily vitamins. It provides us with micronutrients essential for spiritual growth, spiritual strength, and it deepens our relationship with God. It isn’t something that should be missed. Prayer is not a meaningless act or done to impress others. Rather, it is a necessary communication tool that connects us directly with our Heavenly Father.
Rest in God’s Presence
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 ESV
When our bodies need rest, we can quickly become angry, cranky, and stressed. If we are not careful, our ugly side can make an appearance. Keeping our bodies in top shape requires six to eight hours of sleep, good nourishment, and exercise. Yet, we often fall short. Pushing ourselves harder and harder to complete our to-do lists.
Not only can we feel this impact physically, but spiritually. Resting in God’s presence is not an add-on task or something we need to schedule. It should be part of our daily life, like brushing our teeth. Resting in God’s presence includes prayer time (speaking with the Lord) but also quiet time to rest our minds. The Bible tells us to be still before the Lord.
When we rest in God, we are removing our need to worry and stress. It is our time to break free from the burdens of this world and place them into the hands of the one who can carry them all.
Read God’s Word
Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 ESV
Reading our Bible daily may seem like a time sacrifice, and it is. But here is the thing: this sacrifice is worth all the time we give it. The Bible is our lifeline to living a Christ-like life. So many Christians push off Bible reading and think that their time at church on Sunday is enough.
We can’t expect an hour of learning about God on Sunday to be enough to sustain us for the rest of the week. Keep in mind, we can’t just skip this spiritually dense and nutritious meal on Sunday either. We need this type of food daily, just as we need three regular meals a day.
We are called to remain and abide in Jesus (John 15:4), and the way we remain in Him is through Scripture.
Fellowship With Other Believers
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
God created us to be relational humans. In the very beginning, He created Adam, then Eve as a helpmate. Adam needed Eve, and Eve needed Adam. Without the ability to communicate and do life together, I imagine it to be pretty lonely.
Let’s face it, we can get lonely. Fellowshipping may seem like a “churchy” word, but it is imperative. Being around other believers gives us the chance to learn and grow in our faith. When hardship and trials hit, we can be left to our conclusions, whether doubting God’s timing or trying to remain self-reliant.
Fellowshipping with other Christians helps us to remain steadfast and to keep our eyes on God. Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. This means unity can strengthen us together, making it harder to break than attempting it alone.
Go To A Local Church
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 ESV
In the body of Christ, we are always stronger together than we could ever be alone. I grew up going to church off and on. Now I’m a married adult with a family, and we make church a priority. Church is not only a gathering of other church believers, but we stand unified as Christ followers.
In church, you find a variety of people with God-given gifts. Together we can experience the presence of God, unite in worship and prayer, fellowship, and learn more about the Word of God. Every believer needs to regularly hear the teaching and preaching of God’s Word to develop in faith and grow to spiritual maturity.
Everything God has made has a reason for existing. There are specific purposes Jesus intended for His church to accomplish. Church is a place for spiritual renewal, restoration, and edification. Within the body of the church, we are called to be disciples, or in other words, to be the good news of Christ Jesus to others.
If the Church is this important to God, it should be ever-important to us.
Let’s Pray Together
Dear Heaven Father,
We thank you for your faithfulness. Lord, I know that You are our refuge and fortress, a steadfast anchor in the storm. Please grant us the courage to face each day with hope, even when the path ahead seems unclear. Help us to remember Your promises: that You will never leave us nor forsake us. Please continue to remind us that your love surrounds and sustains.
In this, we ask in your precious name, Jesus. Amen!
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