Where do you go or what do you do when you are going through a dark valley? Perhaps you are going through such a time right now. You are weighed down in your spirit, and you have a heavy hurt. Maybe this meditation is coming at just the right time for you.
Sometimes, we try to fix the problem ourselves. We have people in the Bible that tried that and it didn’t work. Others were driven to God because of depression and discouragement.
David was a man who experienced a lot of different mood swings. Some of them he brought on himself because of the choices he made. I believe all of us, no matter how spiritually mature we think we are, go through dark times. Hopefully, we have learned that the best thing we can do is come running to God.
Listen to what David wrote in Psalm 63:1, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”
His longing for God, even in the pit of despair, is a vivid demonstration of a soul’s response to difficult times. If we are willing, we can turn our despair into a passionate pursuit of God. That is when the search for peace – and deliverance from the dark valley brings us back to the heart of God.
I had a note from a long-time friend who lives in Georgia. She shared that some of her family went to Nashville to visit her mother’s sister. She said, while there, “her mother started feeling not so good”. Shortly after that, she became unresponsive and died. The daughter said, “We are stunned by her passing, but we are drawing close to the LORD for His comfort and peace.” This is a dark valley, but they are running to God, and I know He will refresh them with hope and bless them with exactly what they need. They are hungering and thirsting for God during the parched time, so they are coming to the Bread of Life and the Living Water we find in Jesus Christ. God never, never leaves us in a wasted land of darkness or despair.
When the Israelites wandered through the wilderness due to their disobedience and lack of faith, God gave them fresh manna every day. Some tried to gather enough in one day to last for several days, but it spoiled. We need a fresh encounter with God every day.
In Psalm 16:11, David said, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in Your presence and eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”
Prayer: Lord, I often try to do things my own way and in my own strength without asking for help from You. Help me avoid the temptation to rely on my own limited abilities and vision. Help me to trust in You with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding. LORD, keep me from wilderness wanderings. I want you to direct my paths, for then I know everything will work out to my advantage. With gratitude, I move from discontent to peace and joy when I trust Your wisdom, mercy, and purpose. Amen
Pastor Leonard
