Valleys Are a Part of Life
By Rick Warren
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
In Israel, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, there’s a canyon called the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In his day, King David probably traveled through it many times. Some of the canyons along the road to Jericho were narrow at the bottom and as tall as 800 feet. The only time you could see sunshine at the bottom was at noon when the sun was straight overhead. In the Bible, valleys are often a metaphor for times of darkness, despair, defeat, or discouragement.
Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (NIV). The Bible teaches that God is not just a part of your mountaintop experiences. He is also with you in the valleys. There are three things you need to remember about the valleys:
Valleys are a part of life. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 11:11, “The land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys” (NLT).
Valleys are inevitable. You likely just came out of a valley, are in the middle of one right now, or are headed into another one. There’s no way to avoid valleys while you’re on this Earth. Instead, you can count on them.
Valleys happen to everybody. They’re impartial. Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. We live in a fallen and broken world, so we have problems. Nobody’s immune. Nobody’s insulated from pain. Nobody sails through life problem-free.
The Bible says, “The good man does not escape all troubles—he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one” (Psalm 34:19 TLB).
Valleys are unpredictable. You can’t plan them. You can’t time them. Problems typically catch you off guard. In fact, your valleys and your problems usually come at the worst times—when you don’t have time, when you’re unprepared, and when it’s inconvenient. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could schedule all your valleys when you’re caught up on your sleep, your health is good, and nobody is bugging you? But life doesn’t work that way. Proverbs 27:1 reminds us, “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring” (NLT).
When you know what to expect in the valleys of life, you know how to better prepare for them and keep trusting in God’s presence and provision.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Be Encouraged Each Day to Live Out God’s Purposes
As thanks for your gift below to help share the gospel with more people around the world through Daily Hope, we’ll send you Pastor Rick’s new book, Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise.
Each devotional starts out with a Bible verse, followed by teaching that explains God’s Word and shows you how to apply it daily so you can face any challenge and live the life you were created to live.
As a special bonus when you give, we’ll also send you What's Driving Your Life?: A 10-Day Turnaround for a Fresh Start. Featuring 10 hand-picked devotions from Pastor Rick’s new book, they’ll guide anyone feeling stressed, worried, or discouraged toward seeking God for a fresh start.
Request your copy below when you give—and take the first step towards a year of real purpose, lasting peace, and unfailing promises.
Thank you for your partnership!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
