Daily Devotional, Oct 4, 2023 Dark Valleys
"And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:15
It is a common misconception for some Christians that once they have accepted Jesus as their personal savior, their problems will go away and they will no longer go through challenges.
But the opposite is true, following Christ would entail persecution of various forms, and He did not hide this truth from His followers. The Gospel of St. John quotes Jesus as saying “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).
And while we will have troubles, His promise is that He will never leave us. The Book of Isaiah 43:2 says “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Note the choice of the word “WHEN,” which means it is just a matter of time that you will go through deep waters or walk through the fire. It is not an “IF.” But through all these cathartic, downright depressing and challenging moments, His presence will be there to guide us through the deep valleys.
In his popular Psalm, King David mentioned the times when he went through tribulation, and how the Lord’s presence, protection and guidance calms him: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me,” (Psalm 23:4).
In one of her interviews, renowned Christian Author Ann Voskamp said that “His presence is the Promised Land.” Once we have the Lord present in our lives, no matter where we go, whether these are highest peaks or low valleys, we can be sure that we are in good hands. He is holding us and we are holding onto Him and that is what’s important.
To keep a strong grasp on the Lord we should keep abiding in Him, praying, having quiet time, intentional daily bible reading, and having regular group study with fellow believers. Of course whether we are happy or sad, we should never forgo worshipping with fellow believers. Let us hold on to God and tether our lives to Him, and hold on to His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Isaiah 43:1-5 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Have you ever doubted the Lord’s presence whenever you were in your deep valleys?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise to never leave us nor forsake us. Give me the confidence to fully trust in your promises my Lord as I go through the deep valleys of my life. Amen.