Psalm 23:4 (NLT) 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You might be going through one of life's big storms right now. You may have even cried out for it to stop, and it hasn't. In fact, It may have gotten worse. And you may be asking why. Why has God allowed this?
There are no easy, straight forward answers to that question. But I do know this; Where there are no trials in life, there will be no triumphs. There is a saying that goes; "The hammer shatters glass, but it forges steel." You see, great things will come as a result of the hardship you are gong through. Let me put it this way, miracles are conceived during trials.
Think about this; the apostle Paul died and went to heaven, and he wrote a few lines about it. But he wrote entire books while he was in prison. In other words, he wrote the most during the toughest, hardest, most difficult times. You see, when you go through difficult times, look around for God to speak. When you go through hardships, there are things you will learn and discover that you couldn’t learn anywhere else.
Psalm 23 is a well-known, well-loved passage that many have memorized. It is a beautiful picture of sheep grazing on grass and drinking from the cool mountain springs. We love that. We love the green pastures and still waters. But then David continues on: Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Think about this; the apostle Paul died and went to heaven, and he wrote a few lines about it. But he wrote entire books while he was in prison. In other words, he wrote the most during the toughest, hardest, most difficult times. You see, when you go through difficult times, look around for God to speak. When you go through hardships, there are things you will learn and discover that you couldn’t learn anywhere else.
Psalm 23 is a well-known, well-loved passage that many have memorized. It is a beautiful picture of sheep grazing on grass and drinking from the cool mountain springs. We love that. We love the green pastures and still waters. But then David continues on: Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Ya, there will be those times when God will take us to the beautiful green pastures and still mountain waters. But know that, He will be with us in the valleys as well. And it is through those valleys we learn important lessons in life. You see, fruit does not grow on mountaintops; it grows in valleys!
God has a purpose for you while in the storms of life…so rest in Him, because He is with you through it all. Remember this; no trials, no triumph. It’s time now to Triumph through the Trials!
~ Matt
