Tuesday, October 9

Peaks or Valleys


"We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and is where we have to prove our mettle."
~Oswald Chambers~


Life is filled with peaks and valleys. A peak is defined as reaching your highest point, crest or maxed out. A peak is something incredible that occurs in your life, something fantastic, something to celebrate and remember. The day you get married - that is a peak. The birth of your child - that is a high point in your life. The day you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior - you were maxed out. During those moments, it's easy to be a Christian. "God is so awesome," you think to yourself. There's no doubt in your mind that God is blessing you.


But we all know that life isn't one continual peak after another. Actually there are times in your life when you probably think the peaks are scarce. There are many valleys. Those difficult moments. The troubles and sorrows of life. When you have been diagnosed with cancer - that is a huge valley. When a loved one dies - that's another huge valley. It is difficult to say, "God is good." Sometimes your faith is shaken. There's some doubt lurking there, when you're in a valley, that God is blessing you and those around you.


Peaks and valleys - so where are you right now? Are you on the mountain top today? Or are you in a valley? Maybe you're somewhere in between - maybe there's a peak or valley for you right around the corner, and you don't even know it. The disciples of Jesus Christ had no idea that they were about to enter a valley - they were about to go through a low-point with Christ. Things with Jesus seemed to be going so well - He had performed miracles - walking on the water, feeding the 5000. He had been surrounded by crowds of people, listening to His parables. It was easy to be a disciple of Jesus at that time. There was no doubt that this was the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The disciples were experiencing one high-point after another with Jesus.


But right around the corner loomed the valley of the shadow of death. The crowds would soon turn against Jesus. He'd be betrayed, and arrested, and tortured, and publicly condemned, and executed in the most shameful way known to man at that time. The valley was right around the corner. The disciples would be filled with fear and doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. Soon, it would be very difficult to be a disciple of Christ.

Jesus takes three disciples to a high mountain top. He lets them experience something amazing - with their own eyes, they catch a glimpse of His glory. Right before the valley, Jesus takes them to a mountain, to a high point, and He does this to strengthen them for the difficult road ahead. Then it was all over. Jesus told them not to tell anyone and they were to go back down the mountain. There was no time to stay there and worship as Peter wanted. There was no time to stay isolated from the cares of the world below. No, they had to go back down the mountain. Jesus did not want to stay on top of the mountain. He said no to the mountain top experience. He is saying that it was good while it lasted, but we must not stay.


We all love mountain top experiences, these are joyful, victorious times of our faith. These are the places we want to be spiritually, but our faith is a journey not a stopping place. We must take what we learn on the mountain top into the valley. A true God experience will change you. If you have had a mountain top experience with God then you should be closer to God than ever before. It is that mountain top experience that will carry you through the valleys in your life.


We had an awesome altar service Sunday evening and the presence of God was amazing! It truly was one of those mountain top experiences that you didn't want to depart from. I am thankful for those times because that experience takes me to a new level in my relationship with Christ. I know that I am better equipped to deal with the valley experiences after I have been refueled spiritually and have been in the presence of God on the mountain top.


I don't know if you are on the mountain top or in the valley today in your life. I do not know if you are experiencing a high moment or a low moment in your walk with the Lord. And I don't know where you will be two years from now - what high moments or low moments you will be going through. In reality, neither do you. God's Word is your mountain to climb. Each time you read your Bible or attend church and hear the Word of God, you have climbed the mountain. You see Christ, who has taken your sins away on the cross and has risen from the dead. You catch a glimpse of His glory, even if it's just for a moment. From these experiences you will be strengthened for the days ahead, for all the peaks and valleys that are around the corner.


Thanks to Laurel today for hosting "In Other Words". Visit her site for additional blogs on this subject.

Blessings to you today

16 comments:

  1. Peaks and valleys, seems like the story of my life. But I praise God for each journey because I walk away with some treasure each time.

    Thank you for participating.

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  2. Thanks for the encouragement. I had not thought about the valley of the shadow of death. How appropriate.

    I'm in a dark valley right now. I could use your prayers. I am shameless asking everyone I know to lift me up-- I need help in this battle--I'm not doing so well on my own.

    Thank you.

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  3. I feel like I'm walking out of a valley of discontentment but not necessarily up to a mountain - somewhere in between. Thanks for your thoughts!

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  4. As always...you've TOUCHED my heart today!! Currently...we've been in a valley (for 2 years)...but oh the lesson's we are learning as we rest and lean on Jesus!! God's getting at our holiness...not our happiness!!

    Blessing to you my friend!!

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  5. Yes, I know about the valley time. Oswald Chambers does quite a bit of talking about the time in the valley.
    It is where we walk out what we have had the privilege of seeing on the mountain.
    Sometimes I feel like have been spending a lot of time in the valley.
    I don't think anyone has written a book on how much time in the valley is too much time in the valley.:)

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  6. I liked this. There are valleys and peaks for sure.

    I read a preacher comments on this once in a devo booklet that said he was always on the mountain top...

    I thought this is not a good teaching because there are valleys and this makes people think somethings wrong with them, because they are going through all kind of stuff, and when they read something like that it makes them
    all freaked out that they have missed the boat!

    Of course we love the mountain tops better then the valley days....

    I have had both..... It is in the valley where I learned to TRUST HIM! The neat part is somewhere along the way we learn He is Trust Worthy!! and then things don't seems so hard.
    love you, Carolyn

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  7. You minister with your words!!
    It is hard to come down off that mountain, isn't it...but what peace we have in knowing that HE will be with us always...ahh, the strength that we can find in that!
    Your post, as usual, was a blessing...I have been refueled!
    thank you!
    lori

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  8. Thanks for such a lovely post, bless you dear.

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  9. I am learning not to hold on to anything too tightly~ change is the one thing that is for certain.
    Change brings the mountain tops and the valleys.

    God is good,

    Sue

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  10. Debbie...the Lord uses you in mighty ways...you delight Him with your obedience.
    You blessed me!

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  11. Good Morning Debbie, I have a lovely award for you over at my blog!! Come and see what it is!! Love you, Carolyn

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  12. I loved that excellent post today. The Lord is certainly using you to minister to others.

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  13. Thank you for that encouraging word. It's true we hit peaks and valleys. My husband likes to look at the whole experience of walking with God as a mountaintop experience, whether we feel like we're on the mountaintop or not. In the terrain of the Kingdom of God, we are on the mountaintop even in the hard times of suffering and pain. Sometimes we just can't see it.

    David understood what it meant to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Yet I suppose that when he says "I will fear no evil" that kept him on the mountaintop even though it felt like like a death-blow. Who ever said mountaintops are easy?? : ) They can be quite rocky and tough.

    Thanks for sharing. You're a wonderful woman.

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  14. Thanks for your encouraging words. You have a very nice blog here!

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  15. Debbie,

    I really enjoyed this post. I've been on top of the mountain and I've been in some valleys that were dark with despair. Yes, it's nice to be on the mountain top, but I think the times when I learned the most valuable lessons were those when I was traveling through the valleys. The valleys make us strong by forging us mentally. Thanks for sharing this very inspiring message.

    Mary

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  16. Great blog title, it got me here!!my two favorites...chocolate and coffee...mmmmm. I love My Utmost for His Highest. Dreary valleys, dark days enhance the mountain top experience and the sunny days. If we didn't have hard times we wouldn't appreciate the good ones as much! Blessings!!

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Thanks so much for visiting this site. I pray that Chocolate and Coffee will be an encouragement to you today.

Blessings and hugs!