I’m a firm believer that as long as God gives us breath we should appreciate our life and live it to the fullest for Him.  But sooner or later, unless we are the generation that will experience the rapture, we will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23:4). Everyone dies. It’s inescapable. While we needn’t be morbid about it, we should consider what this event will mean in terms of our eternal future. 

For a believer in Christ, that future is assured.  Psalm 23 tells us we are to “fear no evil”, that God will be with us.  People tend to fear the unknown.  But here the unknown is made know, for not only does it tell us that God will be with us and comfort us, but that He has something wonderful waiting.  The picture given is a banqueting table along with the promise that we “will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  Oh, what a future!

Since this valley comes upon most people suddenly, unexpectedly it is well to make sure we are right with the Lord. And for those of us who have friends and family who do not yet know Him, it is paramount we pray diligently that they do, for eternity is at stake.

We’ll only pass this way once, and when it’s our time to reach that shadowed valley our houses, our bank accounts, our job titles will be meaningless. Only one thing will matter: “Who do you say the Son of Man is?” If the answer is “My Savior and God” we have nothing to fear and unimaginable wonders await us.  But for those who can’t answer in that way, may you come to know the One Who died for you, Who sticks closer than a brother.  The One who loves you like no one ever will.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Eshcol is a sample of the Promise Land where a cluster of grapes was so big and heavy that the spies Moses sent to scout the land “bare it between two upon a staff” (Numbers 13:23).  But it was also a land of giants, and great walled cities.  And here in is the rub.  In order for the Hebrews to obtain the territory God had promised them, they had to face these obstacles. But lacking the faith to do so, they, instead, wandered the wilderness for forty years until the men of that generation perished and the next generation was finally ready to claim it (Numbers 32:9-13).  What a tragic story! 

Those who have been in the Valley of Eshcol know there is always a choice to be made here. Rich and ripe with the promises of God, it also comes with obstacles, with giants and high walls that need overcoming. Ask any person in ministry.  Usually that ministry has been brought about at great cost.  But the same can be said of our personal life.  The promises God makes to us often seem to take forever to materialize, and there seems to be one wall after another to be scaled, one giant after another that hinders our progress. That wayward child God has promised to deliver from drugs seems to be only getting worse; in stead of that healing God promised we seem to get sicker; and rather than God’s promised provision, our finances continue sinking deeper into the red. The list goes on.

In this valley much is at stake. Like the Hebrews, we can throw up our hands and say the giants are too big, the cities too fortified that victory is impossible and God’s promises will never come to pass. Or, we can be like Caleb and Joshua, the only two spies who had no fear and knew they could possess the land because God was with them; and the only two spies permitted to enter the Promise Land with the new generation. God’s ways are higher than ours and He doesn’t measure time the way we do.  But if we stay the course, no matter how long it takes, His promises will come to pass. He never fails. He will deliver.

“Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Until next time,

Sylvia

Baca, the Valley of Weeping. Who has not passed through it at some time in their life?  And that’s just it, for me and those I know, it’s only a valley that occasionally must be traversed. But what of those who actually live in this valley, who have lived in this valley all their lives or for years, and see no hope of ever getting out? I’m speaking of people far removed from my clean, orderly life; people I’ve read about or heard about in some documentary; people in third-world countries who forage in dumpsites for a living; children who have been stolen from parents and forced into the sex trade; people, like those in Haiti who, a year after the earthquake, still live in tents.  People who have lost hope, who see no future.

It seems as if the scope of this valley is growing, and may continue to grow in the months and years ahead.  Floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes have already ravaged our country and countries everywhere.  The homes of millions swept away, their life’s work, their savings, gone.  Unemployment continues to rise, countries continue to face financial ruin.  All grounds for weeping.

As the Valley of Baca enlarges and deepens, my prayer is that God will give those of us who don’t live there, a heart of compassion, hands that seek to help, feet that run to comfort.  The psalmist in Psalm 84:6 asks God to make the Valley of Baca for those going through it, a well, and rain to fill the pool.  Only God can fill such a dry and bitter place.  Only God can fill us with the love, courage, strength and resources to make a difference there.

Oh, may God give us His heart of love for those who weep!

Until next week,

Sylvia

Did you know there are over fifty named valleys listed in Scripture? Valleys with either a proper name or a descriptive name like the one above? Neither did I. And then there are dozens of times a place is just called “a valley” or “the valley.” And all tell a story.  But because there are so many, I’ve decided to only write about another half dozen or so, in no particular order, before moving on.

This week’s valley, the Valley of Dry Bones, is an incredible place. God takes the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37: 1-14) to a valley of bones and asks him, “can these bones live?” If God is involved, of course the answer is “yes!”  The entire passage concerns Israel (“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel” verse 11) and how God was going to make them a nation again, which He fulfilled in 1948. 

But my question is this: if God can make a dead nation come back to life can He not make the dead things in our lives come back, too? 

Many of us have, at one time or another, visited the Valley of Dry Bones.  Maybe some of you are still there.  Maybe your marriage is dead or your finances, or your job opportunities.  Or it could be your good name, your reputation, your hopes, your dreams, all dead, all finished, or so you believe. 

It’s interesting that God asked Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones. “”And he (God) said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”

I’m not a name-it-and-claim-it Christian, but I do believe in the proper of prayer and the importance of speaking life (God’s word) over our situations. It’s too easy to be negative and give up when we’re in the Valley of Dry Bones.  But if there is anything to take away from these passages in Ezekiel, it’s that we shouldn’t throw in the towel too quickly.  God is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). So is He able to bring our dry bones back to life?  The answer: a resounding “yes!”

Until next week,

Sylvia

Beware of this valley.  It’s dangerous.  The name itself, Gerar, means to drag off roughly.  What happened here?  In Genesis 26:12-22 Isaac, Abraham’s son, has been mightily blessed by God and has “became very great,” so great in fact that the Philistines who lived in the area were envious and their envy drove them to stop up all of Isaac’s wells. And everyone knows how vital water is, especially in the Middle East.  Eventually, the local king got into the act and, in the interest of peace, asked Isaac to leave, thus Isaac was symbolically “dragged off roughly”, to the valley of Gerar.  But even here his troubles didn’t end because the new wells his herdsmen dug were contested by the herdsmen of Gerar.  After a cycle of digging wells then giving them up to the protesters, Isaac finally dug a well that he was allowed to keep.

So why do I think this is a dangerous valley?  Because it’s a valley that can easily breed resentment.  Imagine you are happy, “on top of the world,” and living in peaceful union with God, blessed mightily by Him, when all of a sudden, because of the sins or selfishness or carelessness or malevolence of others you are forced to go to a place you don’t want to go; forced to endure hardship, suffering, heartache, humiliation, all because of something someone else did. It could be a spouse who did not handle the finances wisely and now you are facing bankruptcy, or a spouse who has violated the marriage with an adulterous affair, or a business that has been mismanage and now you are out of a job, or a rebellious child who has run away from home and turned your world upside down.  It could be any one of a dozen things but the result is the same.  You find yourself where you don’t want to be, “dragged” there by someone else. And because you believe it’s not your fault, bitterness can sprout like a weed. 

Verse 19 of Genesis 26 tells us that in the midst of this valley, Isaac’s servants found a “well of springing water (KJV).” The Amplified calls it a “well of living (spring) water.” Jesus tells us in John 4:10 that He will give “living water” to whoever asks, the only kind of water capable of quenching spiritual thirst.  Gerar is a tough valley to be sure, but oh, what a deep and marvelous well God has for us there if only we ask!  It doesn’t have to be a place of bitterness.  It can be a place where circumstances make us more open to the Lord, as well as a place of deep refreshing.  As usual, the choice is ours.

Until next week,

Sylvia

I was surprised to find Abraham in another valley, the Valley of Shaveh (Genesis 14:17-20) right after his victory over King Chedorlaomer.  Why was he there and not back up in the mountains since valleys are taken as low points in our lives?  Only after giving it some thought did it seem reasonable. God had given Abraham a great victory, but the victory came with a price. The Bible calls what happened in the last valley, the Valley of Siddim, a “slaughter”.  Abraham had been at war. He had blood on his hands.  He had killed many. And he had made enemies.  Would the sons or relatives of those enemies seek revenge?  These things had to weigh heavily on his mind. No wonder he had no peace.

But here’s the good part, while he’s lingering in this low point, Melchizedek, priest of the most high God and King of Salem, the very King of Peace—for Salem means peace—comes to Abraham bearing bread and wine, and blesses Abraham.  And by this blessing he assures Abraham that God was still with him, thus restoring his peace.  And who is this Melchizedek?  The pre-incarnate Jesus, the ever-existing One, who appears many times in the Old Testament.  In Hebrews 5:6, speaking of Jesus, it says, “Thou are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec”, and Hebrews chapter 7 goes into more detail.

Oh, there is so much in these passages of Genesis! It would take a proper Bible study to lay it all out.  But suffice it to say, that after we have been in a valley of conflict, and the conflict is now over, it still may be difficult to regain our peace.  So many unpleasant things happen during a conflict.  People are wounded, relationships may be destroyed, and this could leave us still trapped in a valley of remorse, despondency, or fear of the unknown.  But praise God! Jesus is willing and able to meet us there like He did Abraham.   And if we commune with Him (symbolized by the bread and wine brought by Melchizedek); if we spend time in fellowship with Jesus, He will restore us back to a place of peace, and bless us going forward.  What a gracious God we serve!

Until next week,

Sylvia

We have left the valley of rebellion (Shinar) only to find ourselves in the valley of strife. And as I mentioned last week, it is reasonable to assume that if we are not at peace with God, we will not be at peace with our fellowman, either.  So, is it any wonder that in the very next valley named in the Bible, the Valley of Siddim, the first recorded war in scripture takes place?  Many years have passed since the Tower of Babel and people have spread out in all directions. In this particular area there are now nine kings with the head honcho being King Chedorlaomer.  For twelve years the other kings have been serving Chedorlaomer (Genesis 14). Finally, in the thirteenth year five of the kings rebelled, including the King of Sodom and the King of Gomorrah, and within a year, Chedorlaomer marched against them with his army and the army of his three allies. So it was four kings against five. 

The four kings were able to vanquish the others and took them as spoils of war along with their goods, livestock, children, and wives. Among those taken was Lot, Abraham’s nephew, who had, some time before, left Abraham to live in Sodom.

And where was Abraham all this time?  Safely by the mountain of Mamre.  Abraham, called by God to separate himself from the world, is the fountainhead of the twelve tribes of Israel, but he’s also a wonderful picture of the believer.  We too are called by God to be separated; to refrain from the world’s sin and strife. 1 John 5:19 says “the whole world lieth in wickedness”. Romans 12:2a cautions us to “be not conformed to this world”.  And 1 John 2:15 admonishes us to “love not the world neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” But James 4:4 goes even further and tells us that to be friends with the world is to be an enemy of God. But like Abraham, who, when he heard about Lot’s capture, was forced to take up arms and rescue him, sometimes we too are pulled into the war and conflict around us. There will always be someone who causes strife in our world, someone who wants to rule, to control, to subjugate. In the larger sense we can think of people like Hitler or Bin Laden, but on a smaller scale it could be that difficult boss or abusive spouse or impossible neighbor or co-worker.

So there will be times when we will leave our mountain of peace for the valley of strife, pulled there by war or discord not of our making. But in the end, Abraham and his men prevailed and rescued Lot and the other captives.  And in the end, if we faithfully follow God’s leading, we will prevail too.

Until next week,

Sylvia

The Bible is full of types and shadows that are like gems waiting to be excavated.  For the next few weeks I thought I’d look at one of them, namely “valleys” and see where it leads. I think it will prove interesting since our life’s journey seems to be a cycle of going from mountain tops to valleys in often seemingly random fashion.  Since I’ve never looked at Biblical “valleys” before I’ll be discovering these gems along with you.

The first valley mentioned in the Bible is the Valley of Shinar (Genesis 11:2) which in some translations is listed as a plain but whose original Hebrew, biqah, means a “wide level valley between mountains”.  We visit this valley right after the story of Noah and the flood.  It is where the existing inhabitants of the world have chosen to dwell, and not surprisingly, where they have chosen to rebel against God by building the Tower of Babel, to “reach unto heaven” and “make a name” for themselves.  Just what were they trying to do? On a corporate level they were setting up a one-world government to replace God.  On an individual level they were magnifying “self”. 

Rejecting God or rebelling against Him will always bring us to a valley, the kind of valley that will “rend, rip, or make a breach” (which is the root meaning of that word, biqah) in our relationship with God, and, as we will see later, in our relationship with each other. I can’t think of a sadder place to be.

And the immediate result? God confounded their language, then scattered them. On one level it was an act of mercy.  His concern was clear when He said, “now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do” (Genesis 11:6b). He is obviously referring to unrestrained actions that would necessitate judgment on His part.  But on another level it was deeply tragic since people were now confused, isolated, aimless, and limited in their ability to communicate; all mirroring the isolation, confusion and aimlessness of life without God. And what a hopeless life that is, when self occupies the position that belongs to God! Oh, may we never find ourselves in the Valley of Shinar!

The next valley mentioned is the Valley of Siddim, the scene of the very first war described in the Bible.  I suppose that’s to be expected. If we don’t have peace with God, can we have peace with our fellowman? But more on that . . . .

Until next week,

Sylvia

He had been breaking rules all his life.  In little ways, at first, ways that seemed inconsequential because his friends were doing them, too: snatching candy bars from grocery stores, plagiarizing school work, driving 50 in a 20 mile zone. It was inevitable that as he grew so did his crimes: cheating on his taxes, slandering the man whose position he coveted in hopes of getting ahead, engaging in dishonest business practices, driving drunk, and finally, the hit and run that cost a woman her life. Now, standing before the judge for sentencing, he knew it had all caught up to him—this accumulated debt to society—and payment was due.

Most people in the courtroom thought the judge would be lenient since he had a reputation for being a kindly soul.  But everyone gasped when they heard him pronounce the harshest penalty allowed by law.  And they gasped again when another man, prominent and well known in the community for his goodness, stepped forward and declare, “I will pay the penalty for him.  I will serve his sentence.” A final gasp was heard when the judge accepted the offer and declared the real criminal, “absolved”.

It’s hard to believe that something like this could ever happen.  But it did, almost two thousand years ago when Jesus, the sinless Son of God, stepped forward and willingly took upon Himself our just punishment. Without exception, we have all broken the rules. We have all violated God’s laws. And just like those people in that fictional courtroom, many believe our Heavenly Judge will be lenient and that somehow they will escape their due punishment.  But though our Heavenly Judge is loving, He is also just, and His sense of justice must be satisfied. Thus our violations carry a terrible punishment, eternal separation from God.

But oh, what a tremendous thing Jesus accomplished! And at such a great cost!  Hanging on a cross in unspeakable agony and torment, He took upon Himself every single one of our sins.  And just before he died, John 19:30 tells us Jesus cried out “It is finished.” That word “finished” in the Greek literally means to discharge a debt, to mark it “paid in full.”

If we accept Jesus’ sacrifice we are “absolved”, too, and our sin debt is marked “paid in full”.  If we don’t, then we will be required to pay this debt, ourselves. The choice is totally ours.

Until Next Week,

Sylvia 

Last week my daughter and I, along with other “helpers” all brought our sewing machines into my grandson’s school in order to sew dozens of quilts for his class.  Each child had been working for days on their fabric squares, painting pictures of their families, their favorite toys, their hobbies, and now these squares had to be sown into individual quilts. Oh, how proud the children were when their quilt was finally stitched and ready for viewing!  And their eager faces told you they could hardly wait to bring them home to show their parents.

After looking at all the quilts, I was amazed how different each was, and how the squares exposed so much about the young lives they represented so like the patchwork of our own lives.

We are all working on our quilts, and our squares reveal who we are and what is important to us by the pictures we are painting.  They also reveal disappointments, heartbreak, and failures, too. But at the end we will be left with an indelible tapestry which will be examined by our Heavenly Father.  What will it say about us? Will we be excited to show Him?

Something to think about.

Until next week,

Sylvia