The Lord Manifests His Presence In The Valleys

We are continuing to look at some of the places where the Lord manifests His presence

God is found in the Valley - to reveal His Presence.
Ps. 23:4 Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.  

There are many times in our journey with the Lord that He lovingly takes us through various valleys. Each valley has a meeting place with God and includes lessons, if learned correctly, that will cause the likeness of Christ to be formed within us. We probably wish that our lives could be spent on the mountaintops where we dwell in the heights with God, where we can see easier and the sense of accomplishment is greater. The Lord knows that there are wonderful secrets and lessons to be learned in the valleys, and He ensures that we spend adequate time there.

These are seven of the valleys that the Lord draws us into. Most often, we are there for relatively short periods as the Lord desires us to pass through until another time when further, deeper lessons may be learned. In each of these valleys we can see the specific lesson that the Lord desires to teach us, and the name of the Lord whose presence is manifested in the valley:

VALLEY OF:	SCRIPTURE:	GOD LEADS US TO:	WE MEET THE LORD AS:
Elah Berachah The Shadow of Death Baca (weeping) Dry Bones Achor Decision	1 Sam. 17 2 Chron. 20 Ps. 23:4 Ps. 84:6 Ez. 37:1-2 Hos. 2:15 Joel 3:140	Preparation Praise His Presence His Potential His Promises His Pardon His Punishment or Prize	The Living God The Lion of Judah The Shepherd The Lord of Hosts The God of Resurrection The Bridegroom The Judge

It is in the valley that the Lord forges kings and conquerors; praisers and prophets

David - met Goliath in the Valley of Elah and God prepared him as a great warrior-king in this place

Jehoshaphat - faced an army of overwhelming odds in the valley of Berachah and God inhabited the praises of His people and completely annihilated the enemy

David - faced death in the valley of the shadow, and he encountered the Shepherd with a rod and staff of great comfort

The Psalmist - was a pilgrim seeking God's presence when he found himself in the valley of weeping (Baca). He met the Lord in this place, and He turned his weeping and suffering into a place of springs

Ezekiel - was supernaturally escorted into the valley of dry bones and he came face to face, breath to breath with the Lord who made an army out of dead bones

Hosea - prophesied about the valley of Israel's first and deepest sin (Achor = trouble). He spoke of the Bridegroom who would meet His people in this place, pardon their sin, turn their suffering into a fruitful place, turn their sorrow into a song, and make a doorway of Hope in the place of trouble.

Joel - met God in the valley of decision. He calls every person to meet the Lord in this place and settle the question of eternity once and for all. Such a decision can only be made once we meet God who is the judge of eternity

Look for the Lord when you are in the valley. Don’t despair – there are wonderful lessons to be learned here and layers of refreshing for you to find and pour out on others.

Isaiah prophesied that every valley would be exalted – our mountains and valleys will become a highway for the glory of the Lord to flow in/through us. What we learn as we encounter Him will become the foundation for the glory of God!

Isaiah 40:4-5 Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; 
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

As the valley gives height to the mountain,

so can sorrow give meaning to pleasure;

as the well is the source of the fountain,

deep adversity can be a treasure.

William Arthur Ward