Last week, during a STEM activity, Makenzie and I discussed foundations. To stand strong when a building is shaken and rocked, it must have a solid foundation to stand on, and when life shakes us to our core, we are no different.
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4, NLT
As David wrote this, it is notable that he used the word when, not if, as he talks about walking through life’s darkest valleys.
No matter how strong, no matter how cautious, no matter how upright you are, you will, at times walk through them, just as David did. Sometimes they are short, but sometimes those valleys can last days, months, or years. There will be times you will feel as the Israelites in the dessert, wondering when, or if, the weight will ever lift from your burdened spirit.
When we find ourselves burdened by “the shadow of death,” as the above verse is often translated, the temptation will always exist, to give up, to turn back, or just collapse in a heap, and cry, “no more!”
Elijah, too, reached this point. “Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 1 Kings 19:4, NLT
When we are in the valleys, however, the best thing we can do is get back to the very basics of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and cling to those principles.
Take Jesus Himself for example. After 40 days in the desert, weary and hungry, as the Enemy tempted to subvert God’s plan, Jesus tells him, ““No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
When you have no strength of your own to cling to, cling to the solid foundation of the Word of God, a tried and true foundation. Throughout its living pages are truths which can pull you through the valley.
Read Romans 8. The passage, written by Paul amid great hardship and persecution, makes clear that when we are sealed as children of God, there is nothing the world can throw at us that He has not already overcome, including death. We may be knocked down, but in Christ, we do not have to stay down, because we have a greater hope than anything the world offers.
Do not look past today, but trust the one who holds tomorrow. If you’re down to the last dime, trust the One who feeds the sparrows and arrays the flowers of the field.
Begin with the most basic commandment. “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39, NLT
And, finally, remember, “But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’”
It may be dark now, but He has not left you. Remember, the morning will come.
Daniel Kiewel is a reporter for the Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune. He can be reached at dkiewel@gbtribune.com.
