VALUE IN VALLEYS

(6-minute read)

When we talk about valleys today, we may think of places like the Silicon Valley – the epicenter of technological innovation and research, or the upscale residential area in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Or we may even recall seeing photos of the scenic Yosemite Valley in California on social media. Christians, however, tend to associate valleys with feelings of darkness, defeat and gloom. Valleys are common euphemisms for describing life in the trenches, where progress can be slow and even stagnant. 

Since ancient civilizations, people settled in valleys because the water valleys provided critical sustenance to crops and livestock. Similarly, to believers, valleys – with their boons and banes - are part and parcel of our life landscape. While it may seem ironic that the place of God’s blessings are also places of unavoidable sorrow and pain, it is all part of God’s plan of redemption for mankind. Notably, when God commissioned Moses, He said, ‘But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.’ (Deuteronomy 11:11).

To be sure, valleys are places of restraint and reservation. We are challenged to adapt and find God’s perspective for enduring seasons in the valleys. These are not places where we broadcast our grievances to gain sympathy. Importantly, we have abundant assurances from the Bible for going through valley seasons when loneliness and helplessness are most intense. 

‘The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.’ (Psalm 34:19).Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4). 

It is important to note that God will deliver you through valleys, and not from them. He will rescue you from valley dangers but not valley realities. By steering clear of valleys, we miss out on invaluable lessons that foster not just personal growth and development, but also the enrichment of our relationships and the expansion of empathy towards others. Never let the presence of the valleys cause you to doubt the presence of our Almighty God. But if the only thing you talk about after your valley experience is your exit strategy, you are missing the whole point of your valley experience. 

Although valleys are transient places, the lessons they offer are life-transforming. Here are three valleys from the Bible that offer us important lessons:

First up is the Valley of Eshkol. It can be translated into the valley of seeing the problems and not the promises. When Moses sent out twelve spies to survey the Land of Canaan that God had told him to occupy, ten of the spies returned to submit a detailed report of all the risks they saw in spite of the physical evidence of rich agriculture (Numbers 13:23-24). They then concluded that it was too risky to invade the land and started spreading fake news about the Land of Canaan. ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.’ (Numbers 13:32). 

Are you at the Valley of Eshkol right now where the existing challenges are sapping your strength and depleting you of the courage to hold on to God’s promises for you? If you leave now, you could potentially be sacrificing all that God will give you in this valley to prepare you for the next chapter. 

Next, is the Valley Of Achor. Based on the events depicted in the book of Joshua 7, this can literally be described as the valley of sin and disobedience. Disobedience can happen when we let common sense replace the specific instructions of God, especially after God has given us initial success like what the Israelites experienced when the walls of Jericho fell (Joshua 6). Emboldened by their early victory, they defied the instructions that God gave them through Joshua, ‘But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.’ (Joshua 6:18).  

The Valley of Achor is the place where we pretend that the way we are going on with life is all God's idea and He is fine with it. It's the place we stop listening to God and instead, we choose to do whatever makes sense to us.

The Lord is faithful and He does not want us to waste any more time holding on to ideals and identities that He wants us to discard and stop relying on. This could involve relationships that are sinful from the start, or hobbies and commitments that take our attention away from God’s priorities. 

Yet, God is good and in the place of our repentance and returning to Him, we will find His mercy all at once. ‘There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.’ (Hosea 2:15).

Finally, the Valley Of Elah is the valley where we face our giants in battle. This is the valley where Goliath taunted the Israelite army for forty days and nights. Yet, all that the Israelites could do was to talk about Goliath for forty days and nights – giving him all the publicity and media coverage he did not deserve! No one dared to confront Goliath who only used what he had to instill intimidation over an entire Israelite army who forgot that they also had God. Finally, only young David stepped up to the battle line and approached the giant with all he had – God and a sling-shot. Read all about it in 1 Samuel 17:45-51. By refusing to stay in the safe distance, young David took down Israel’s enemy with all he had – single-handedly. 

This is how it should be. When you confront the giants in your life, you must not think that your God is outsized. David ran and stood over Goliath when he fell, drew his enemy’s own sword and beheaded him. That day, God reversed the terror on Israel’s enemies!

This gives us the assurance that God will turn the enemy’s sword on its own head. Similarly, in the book of Esther, Haman died in the very gallows he constructed for Mordecai. (Esther 7:9).

Stand still and watch the Lord who is no ordinary warrior but the Mighty Warrior. So stop talking about the giant, but defeat him in the Name of the Lord!

Look to the Promise Keeper in your life and to the One who is your Door of Hope. And believe in your heart, that your Chief Warrior will lead you from victory to victory.  

This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 2 December 2023.