Life is good on the mountaintops of celebration. But no matter how much we’d like to spend our lives up there, we need to walk through the valleys of challenges, too. Life is tough in the valleys. Still, there are valuable lessons we can learn in the valleys that we could never learn if we stayed on the mountaintops.
If you find yourself walking through a valley right now, let God teach you as He walks alongside you. Here’s how you can find victory in the valleys:
The Valley of Uncertainty
Remember that every day of your life is gift from God. Thank Him for each day, and decide to use your time as well as you can. Don’t assume that you have tomorrow; live one day at a time, as best as you can. Praise God for giving you life and ask Him to accomplish His full purposes for you. Understand that nothing can take you from Earth until God’s plan for you is complete, and nothing can keep you here after God’s plan for you is complete.
The Valley of Fear
Know that God wants to use this valley to deepen your faith. Be assured that nothing can change the fact that you belong to God, and He is in ultimate control of your life. Ask God to make you aware of His presence with you and to give you the peace that only He can give – the peace that surpasses all understanding. Remember that God will help you overcome anything that’s causing you fear. Ask Him to give you the strength you need. Realize that God will be faithful to you, even when you’re not faithful to Him. Use your time in this valley to learn how to trust God more, knowing that struggles build trust by showing you how to live out your faith.
The Valley of Detours
Realize that what is a detour to you because it’s unexpected is, to God, just part of the expected path for your life. Even though you don’t know where the detour will lead, God does. Lift your eyes beyond your circumstances to God and trust Him to guide you well. Cooperate with His plans for you; work with Him instead of against Him. Decide to live your life according to biblical morals, and follow God in both adversity and prosperity. Count on God’s promises in Scripture as He works out His plan for your life. Cling to His providence and move forward in confidence.
The Valley of Suffering
Understand that, because God is sovereign, nothing can get to you without
first coming through Him. Know that He won’t allow you to suffer any more than you can bear, and that the suffering He allows you to experience is all for a good purpose in your life. Ask God to show you what He wants to learn from your suffering. Use your time of suffering to get to know God better, love Him more, and trust Him more. Don’t lose heart; seasons of suffering inevitably end, and often result in positive growth for you.
The Valley of Storms
Invite God to use the storms you go through to stretch your faith. Understand that God can use storms for correcting (returning you to a right relationship with Him), perfecting (to mature you and prepare you for serving more in His kingdom), and instructing (to teach lessons you couldn’t learn otherwise). As you struggle through a storm, keep in mind that Jesus is watching and listening, and He is rooting for you. Not only that, but He is praying for you to remain faithful and learn to trust Him even more. Don’t panic, no matter how much rain falls, how loud the thunder crashes, or how close the lightning strikes, because God is more powerful than any storm you could ever experience.
The Valley of Discouragement
Seek counsel from people who are close to God, rather than from worldly sources. Ask strong Christians to pray for you, because their prayers are powerful. Bring your problems and pains to God and ask Him to empower you to handle them according to His will. Ask God for encouragement, and know that He will give it to you. Don’t isolate yourself or fall into lethargy. Remember that if you wait until you feel like doing something, you often won’t do it, but if you decide to take action no matter what your feelings, your feelings will follow. For example, if you wait to read your Bible until you’re in the mood to do so, you probably won’t read it. But if you read it anyway, despite your feelings, you’ll discover that you’ll want to read it more. Trust that obeying God will always bring His blessings into your life. Remember that nothing is impossible for God, and that problems are platforms for Him to work miracles if He chooses to do so. Know that you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you. Don’t quit living a faithful life; if you do, you’ll miss out on God’s best for you. Be persistent in faith until your circumstances change – and know that, in the process, you will change for the better yourself.
The Valley of Confusion
While walking through this valley, don’t let yourself become disoriented. Stay focused on God, and firmly cling to Him and His promises, regardless of what happens. Be assured that even when your circumstances confuse you, God knows what He’s doing in your life. Ask Him to help you trust Him more.
The Valley of Correction
Recognize that every crisis is an opportunity to take a personal inventory to determine how closely connected you are to God. Ask Him to show you any sins in your life that are blocking intimacy with Him. Repent, accept His forgiveness, and embrace the grace He offers to be reconciled with Him. Know that through your repentance, God can restore you and use your life to accomplish great things.
The Valley of Sickness
Understand that sickness is a summons to pray. Don’t be shy about praying often, about everything you need, like healing, strength, and wisdom. Intercede for your loved ones and your medical team. Keep praying until answers come. Ask others – especially strong Christians – to pray for you, and let them know your specific requests. Don’t wait for others to contact you; take the initiative to contact them. Seek the best medical care you can find, pray hard, and never give up hope. Understand that, while physical healing isn’t guaranteed, God will intervene according to His will if you pray and give you peace and possibly restored health as well.
– by Whitney Hopler
Feeling discouraged and fearful! This helped me to get through another sleepless night. This really helps to get you mind focused on Christ Jesus
Please lift me and my family up in prayers through difficult days
I’m so humbled!
Just came at the right time.
May God bless U and enlight more of His Wisdom to You.
Thank you for your message for it is true God will take you through the storm and the valley and when you may feel so all alone is he is ever present help in time of trouble and will see you safely through the other side and just knowing that your not alone and he is with you can bring great comfort when your going through difficulties because you know through it all God will do a new thing and work all things together for your good no matter the situation he will able and can do exceeding and abundantly above and beyond what we ask or think
All Worship thank God for your encourage messages. Such powerful messages reassuring me that I am not alone in the Valley God is with me. I cannot thank you enough for these messages.
Whitney, Thank you so much for this great message. GOD is using you to spread HIS WORD and to touch the lives of many. HIS WORDS are so soothing and reassuring. May the LORD bless you, protect you and honour you as you spread His WORD. I am indeed inspired!
May your time for GOD counts more blessing,GOD BLESSE YOU!!!
such powerful message to reassure you to know that we are not alone in the valley of confusion. The Lord is preparing each of us to reach the mountain top with trials of faith. We have to be courageous and wait on the Lord. When we carry each others burdens in prayers and encouragement we can lighten up every one. Amen.
I cannot thank you enough for the stream of messages you wrote. My heart has become more encouraged through these messages, for they ministered life to me, and that’s what this walk of faith is all about. I pray that the Lord will continue to use you and His word to speak life to thousands who need it in these rough/rocky times. May the Lord bless & keep you, Num. 6:24-26!
Need you to help me pray as i pray as well for i am passing through difficalte situation at home
I’m very happy with message it really a thoughtful 1.praise GOD n thanx for the message, GOD be with you…Amen
This message came at a perfect time where im in the valley of storms mentioned, where I feel like the stone the builders rejected. now I feel healed and am trusting God that He will walk with me through these storms, and the storm season will come to an end for me too with God’s help and my faith in Him. Thank you Whitney Hopler for motivating me.
I thank God for using this article to speak to me. I need reassurance and he gave it to me through this article. May God continue to bless your ministry, as you spread the Good news of hope through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Allworship
Thank God for all your encourging words and ministering songs. What a blessing to listen. I enjoy the worship station everyday
Thank u for the massage. Please pray for me. I am going thru hard times, yet I can see destiny.
God bless u.
Thanks for the encouraging words,
Thank you for your msg. and blessing, there’s many shady times in my relationship with Our Heavenly Father. Because, I try share with my adult children ” Mom don’t have the answers of what you all going through” but the only mom way deal with challenges is one way is GOD he knows each and everyone of you and your hearts. I always told my children constantly. Because, they’re not believers at this time. And share that we are in this world but, not of the world, God is our way and the only and right way.
Read, the best and truth is our Bible. I pray and know that one day my children will understand God is our way and not the enemy. I thank you for your msg. pls cont’d sending to I could mail your msg to my children and husband. And pls pray for family and I. God Bless and Thank You Again
Thank you so much, This massage touch me.I’m passing trou different kind of Valleys. But I decide to leave in Gods will. He knows how much I love him .No matter what I believe in him. He’s my strenght and my rock. My salvation . God continues USING you page to Bless other and to bring them closer th Him. He’s The Alpha and Omega… Thanks Blessings
Joy enters my heart in reading this message and I pray God to bless these Words of Him in my daily life trhough Him in the name of our Lord and King Jesus, amen.
Amen exactly how I felt as reading I asked god for understanding and then I read this now I understand God is so perfect and wonderful I just want to keep on praising him and shouting out goodness unto him I left church after bring baptized and receiving the holy ghost and am now many years later was led back to the same place again and now I lay my life in gods hands I will never walk away from the truth again no matter what the circumstances are I will fully trust in him as I should have done in the beginning
Great message of the season God bless you Amen
Great consoling.