Matthew 1:23– “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.”
For many of us it’s easy to believe God is with us on the mountain tops!
Everything is going great in my life- God is with me!
I got a raise- God is with me! My favorite team won- God is with me!
My kid slept all night- God is with me! I got a great parking spot! -God is with me!
I got to eat Pastor Ken’s famous barbecue chicken! God is with me!
The mountaintops, we all love them! But what about the valleys?
VALLEYS: You’re alone. You’re scared. You’re hurting. You lost your job. You’re lonely! You’re desperate! You’re alone! You’re depressed! You’re dreams seem shattered! You’re alone!
We may enjoy God on the mountaintops, but we get to know him intimately in the valleys!
Psalm 84:5-7– “What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.”
I’M NOT ALONE! HOW CAN I KNOW GOD INTIMATELY IN THE VALLEY?
- What are Who is my source?
“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,..” (Psalm 84:5)
If you don’t know God personally, what you have is all you have!
Exhausted? Can’t take it anymore? Don’t think you can make it?
You were created to depend on God!
The Bible says when you are weak His strength is made perfect!
YOU’RE NOT ALONE! HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD INTIMATELY IN THE VALLEY?
GOD MUST BE YOUR SOURCE!
- Set My Mind on God
“What joy for those who set their mind on God!”
WHAT YOU THINK MATTERS!
The Bible says to “set your mind on things above not on things of this earth.”
Philippians 4:8– “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Isaiah 26:3– “You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
YOU’RE NOT ALONE! HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD INTIMATELY IN THE VALLEY?
- God Alone is my help.
You’re never alone when God alone is your strength!
James 1:6– “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”
Psalms 91:2– “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.”
CONCLUSION: The Bible never says you won’t go through a valley. But you don’t have to go through the valley alone!
He’s your light in the darkness! He’s your peace in the storm! He’s your joy in the trouble! He’s your strength when you’re weak!
You’re never alone when God alone is your strength! You can know Him intimately in the valley! You can know him today!