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Mountains and Valleys

  • And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, Thus says the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys, therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 1 Kings 20:28 ESV

    When the Syrians attacked Israel, they thought that God was only a god of the mountains and not of the valleys. After several battles they learned that He is God Almighty on the mountain, and in the valley.

    It is very easy for us to feel God’s presence when we are on the mountain top. Certainly God is with us, our life is great, things are looking good, hallelujah, praise the Lord.

    The valley though is a completely different place in your life. Where is God’s presence? Certainly isn’t here with me… Look at this! What am I going to do now? Too many times we measure God’s power by how well He obeys us, instead of us obeying Him and finding the way out.

    It is normal to cycle between these two poles. You are always coming out of one and heading towards another in the Christian life. Keep your head up, keep serving God right across the valley and straight up the mountain. He is the God of both and He will still be God when the mountains and valleys are gone. Do not get overly excited on the mountain and do not get depressed in the valley. Stay the course.


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24 comments
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Deborah Alexander
Deborah Alexander Thank God that He sits High but looks Low. I Love Joshua 1:9 Do not be afraid I am the Lord your God, I will be with you wherever you go. Therefore we know He's with us in the Mountains & Valleys. Thank you always Pastor Todd for your messages that are a Blessing. Everyone have a Fun fabulous Friday.
March 6, 2015
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Michael Arrington
Michael Arrington Stay the course, sometimes I look back on sins committed in my past and wonder how I am worthy of the love of such an amighty and loving God. I am quick to beat myself up over the smallest transgressions then I realie that Christ gave it all for me, that I am forgiven for my sins and I fall down and get back up, I stay the course. Thank you to a living, loving God. Amen
March 6, 2015
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Penelope Rhome
Penelope Rhome God is a good God all the time
March 6, 2015
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Mario Tridente
Mario Tridente Isn't that the truth
March 6, 2015
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Rachel Bueno
Rachel Bueno What an awesome word for today. I know he is with us in the valley but sometimes it's easy to forget. I pray to always remember of His Mercy and Grace.TThank you for today's word.
March 6, 2015
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Conchita Bowman
Conchita Bowman Very fitting for this day and time.  May God continue to bless you and your ministry.
March 6, 2015
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Ruth Martin
Ruth Martin Good words for us to remember as we are about to try for new jobs. I leave it in the Lord's hands, because I know that if He, in fact, did open this door, then only good will come of it.
March 6, 2015
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Carol Pady
Carol Pady Being in an unequally yoked marriage , I have been in the valley  lot. I have been on the mountain a lot less. I  used to think that was misfortune. I  have found because of my marriage I have been drawn much closer to God. He used my unequal marriage for His good. It is very possible I would not have gotten where I am today spiritually if I had married a Christian man. God is indeed always good!
March 6, 2015
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Theresa Smith
Theresa Smith Hallelujah Jesus. .I thank Him for my mountain top and valley experiences for He is sovereign and He just keeps on blessing me...
March 6, 2015
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Mark McCoy
Mark McCoy Pastor Dion you hit a home run on this one for me and the bases were loaded, a Grand Slam.  Thank you and I Praise God for you
March 6, 2015
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Mary Bezdicek
Mary Bezdicek Thank-you for your daily devotionals.....they are a wonderful start to my day and help me to keep life in perspective.
March 6, 2015
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Dion Todd
Dion Todd Thank you Mark. We have spent some time in both places. :)
March 6, 2015
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Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson We all experience different seasons.  My season of loneliness and dispair was in the valley of the shadow of death. . .the loss of both of my parents as well as my entire family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.).  I have been in this valley for quite sometime; however, God has never left my side.  In this season that I still seem to be in, I know that without the strength of almighty God, I would not be here; bearing in mind that I know that the sun will shine again, and when it does, Iknow almighty God is with me!  
March 6, 2015
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Kathy Banfield
Kathy Banfield So true! Like the Israelites, I spent 40 years in my own private "hell"--addicted to FOOD! Once I surrendered to Jesus, God stepped in and rescued me from myself!
March 6, 2015
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Sunnie McPhetres
Sunnie McPhetres Whenever I'm in the valleys of my life (and there are many from caring for my disabled husband to battling compulsive eating and many things in between)  I always think of Psalm 22.  I remember that David started with "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and ended with "They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!"  Even when I feel low, I can still praise our wonderful Savior for sticking by me patiently and guiding me gently as I pass through the valleys.  I try to remind myself that while I am in the valleys, I am protected by the mountains of either side of me and that God has done it!
March 6, 2015
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Lissy Verghese
Lissy Verghese God knows that I fall easily. When I am in the valley, he fences me with those who care for me. Thank you so much for the message!
March 6, 2015
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Susan B. Hall
Susan B. Hall I have been down  in the  valley  more times than I can remember and wondered  where are you God but never lost my faith for I knew soon enough he would  bring me back to the mountain top, you see we are all down in the valley  more than we on that  mountain  top because  I think God puts us through tests  just  to see how much faith  we do have in him  and I thank my God that  I've been in the valley cause the joy of it is coming  back  up that mountain  top. Thank you God.
March 6, 2015
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Karen Fletcher
Karen Fletcher Valleys can be very difficult.  This last one was a real blow.  The Lord seemed far away and everything was going down hill.  All I could remember was to Praise Him in all circumstances.  With tears running down my face I drove each day to work.  I look back now and see how during this time He was teaching me to trust Him.  Today I have peace.
March 6, 2015
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Cheryl Hepler
Cheryl Hepler So..so..so true.  Many valleys & many mountains.  Adding to my last post where I lost people by people close to me I found Psalm 42 to give great aid.  Lived in it about 6 months.  In the words with questions as the psalmist I found God to be " the God of Pits".  I for soo long felt angry, hurt, confused about the God I came to know on the mountain tops of my life.  When I realized He was that close to me my mind was blown!  But then even after many tears pre all being gone I had hit quite a bottom.  A deep pit of great confusion & grief.  When I realized in time He was in the pit with me I was amazed & in love again with God My Savior.  A book long ago out called "Hinds Feet in High Places" by Hanna Hurnard helped me so much.  Someone suggested it.  I read it over & over.  God is so Sweet!
March 6, 2015
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Cheryl Hepler
Cheryl Hepler I like your teddy bear.  One time in the mental ward my husband bought one for me while I was by myself.  Named the bear after my husband:)
March 6, 2015
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Jeanie  Fleming
Jeanie Fleming God bless you, Dion, for this message:  As i age, i find more brightly lit mountains than dark valleys.  Most of the time when a valley arrives it isn't nearly as dark as they were 70+ years ago...it occurs to me that we begin life pretty much with bright days and then as we grow and are exposed to outside influences and people who may not love us so much, the valleys begin and seemingly get darker over time.  When i became a senior citizen i found that the valleys were lighter and there were more bright mountains.  Perhaps it is because i learned not to let some things that seemed awfully important when a  young person, really aren't important and i just let things run off my back, because they don't matter in the long run and arren't worth getting into a dark funk over.  Mostly those valleys were due to something out of my control so as i grew up knowing that the dark days weren't going to last forever made all the difference.  Also, as i aged i became much closer to Abba and read His book and studied it more often.  Abba became my best friend and i spend many hours with Him teaching, me listening and begging for more.   Isn't life a beautiful gift from our Abba!
March 6, 2015
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Chinye Kwentua
Chinye Kwentua God is always with us no matter the situation we find ourselves.
March 7, 2015
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Pam Ivins
Pam Ivins If it was not for the valleys we would not grow closer to our Heavenly Father, The valleys makes us stronger and appreciate Him for who HE is TO each one of us.
March 8, 2015
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Randy Dodge
Randy Dodge The way Gods leads His children. “For even when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no ease   or rest, but we were oppressed in every way and   afflicted at every turn—fighting   and   contentions without, dread   and   fears within [us].” 2 Corinthians 7:5 Amplified Bible I often wondered why God leads His children who serve Him so faithfully down hardship after hardship, allowing the pressure to be so great and hard that we just cannot seem to go on. Then it dawned on me, it is so it is not us but Him, it is not our strength or light that shows but His so Jesus is glorified and made known. Yes there are times of blessings in life but it is the oppressions, afflictions dreads and fears that drive us to God so that we become more conscious of our dependence on Jesus who made all things, controls all things and holds all things together by His power (Colossians 1:16-17).  God does not want us independent with self-reliant strength but wants us to rely on His strength for every decision, every step in life as He holds our hand. God the Son demonstrated this life of faith for us relying on God the Father for all that He did and we need to do the same so people see life is all about God not us. “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.   We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.   Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.   Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.” 2 Co 4:7-11 NLT
March 8, 2015