Mountains and Valleys

     With COVID-19 dictating our every move in life these days we are discovering day by day all the little to huge repercussions that are going to surface changing our lifestyles forever. Yes, there is a new norm on the horizon. This past month there has been much talk about the state of the world and our nation regarding the current economic situation and what the future holds. One cannot deny that we are in a crisis, that times are difficult and our nation is hurting. As sojourners through this life we find ourselves enduring these times of difficulty, hardship and pain. However, we must always keep in mind these fundamental truths concerning God and our relationship with Him.

     [Deuteronomy 11:11-12] “...the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.” The land the Israelites entered was one abundantly blessed by God. Whether one looked to the hills or the valleys, God’s care was clear. It was in this fertile land from which they would reap bountiful harvests. As long as they remained faithful to God he would always protect them from their enemies. He would always be with them, to provide and care for them. The time the Israelites spent in this land, though, would not always be easy. They had allowed idolatrous nations to remain among them. These nations would prove to be a snare to Israel, seeking to turn them away from God. Their lives would find hills and valleys, good times as well as bad, trials with the blessings. If only they had remembered that God was with them through it all! By forsaking God, they abandoned their source of blessings. They would one day find themselves in a foreign land, taken captive because of their sins. Not all of life is filled with mountain-top experiences, but neither is it always lived in the valley. We also have high and lows in our lives, good times and bad, hills and valleys. We need to remember that God is with us through it all. He is a constant source of strength and blessing for our life. If we seek Him and His will, he will provide for us. Paul reflected, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). If we keep our lives focused on Him who loved us and offered Himself for us, he will never fail us and we can be victorious in the highs and lows of life.
    “For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley; When things go wrong, He’ll make them right; And the God in the good times, is still God in the bad times; The God of the day, is still God in the night” (“God on the Mountain” by Bill and Gloria Gaither).
     God is still God – He is still in control of the events of time; He still establishes the seasons; He sets up kings and takes down kings. His supremacy is not determined by the circumstances of the day (Daniel 2:20-23). God is Faithful – “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments...” (Deuteronomy 7:9). God will provide (Matthew 6:25-34). God is the God of Hope – Hope is a commodity we just can’t run short of. In Christ we find comfort in the hope He gives. Knowing that He is with us and will never forsake us, the hope in knowing that no matter what happens the Christian will overcome. At the end of time – God’s people Win! It is in this hope we live and endure (Romans 5:2-5). While on the peaks of life it is our loving heavenly Father who provides every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Also realize, even in the depths of seeming despair, God will provide the strength to see us through (Romans 8:35-39). COVID-19 is only a valley we’re passing through, with God.