Lessons Learned from the Valley

Pray

Give Honor

Beloved I believe her eulogy has been preached already, but there is a word of encouragement I want to give you, to help you navigate this trying time.

So Journey with me if you will to

Text: Psalms 23:4

Psalm 23:4 KJV 1900

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Lessons Learned form the Valley

Beloved if I were to poll the room this morning, I believe it to be true, that all of us have faced a valley or two in our lives.

Be it an emotional valley,

A physical valley

A mental valley

or even a spiritual valley,

We all know what it feels like to be in a valley.

And while it may be true that none of us ever want to go through a valley,

My assignment is to encourage you that there are some lessons and or take-aways, that only the valley can teach you.

and it is in this psalm, that we see David writes about the LORD being his shepard.

He says the LORD is my shepard, I shall not want

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures,

Leaded me beside the still waters,

and leadth me in the path of righteousness for his names sake.

all of these would seem like peaceful experiences,

and then here comes the valley.

and Isn’t that just like life,

That the pleausres and plushness of life seem to be all you see, and here comes a valley.

but the truth is, the valley is a place

1. Is not avoided

David says even though I walk through the valley.

He did not say “I might walk through the valley. or IF I walk through the valley,

but David says even though I walk through the valley.

The valley is a place that can not be avoided.

and Pastor Houston said once, it would be nice to go from mountain top to mountain top,

but in between every mountain is a valley.

and I’m sure our sister, if she was here she would tell you that she did not make it through this life, successfully by avoiding the valley,

But she made it through this life successfully by enduring the valley.

and if you want to be successful int his life, you have to learn to endure the valley.

Endure the hardships

Endure the pain

Endure the rough moments

Endure the sleepless nights

Endure the fake friends

Endure it all because on the other side of the valley, is just another mountain top

and the truth is, there are some things that you learn about your valley in your valley

There are some things you learn about your self in valley

and there are some things you learn about your God in a valley.

VALLEYS ARE UNAVOIDABLE.

Valleys are a place I can’t avoid,

But also

the valley is a place

2. I’m not AFRAID

YE THOUGH i WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL.

SEE THE TRUTH IS, WHEN YOU DO NOT AVOID A VALLEY, IT’S HARD TO BE AFRAID OF A VALLEY.

Because the valley is really an illusion,

He says ye though I walk through- which means that it is not a place I should stay.

See the enemy wants your to think that this valley is your final destination,

But this valley is just a temporary location.

and a lot of you think that these lives that we live is a final destination,

but the truth is, this body is just a temporary location

For “if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens

This friends is not a final destination and neither is your valley.

he says ye through I walk through, the valley of the shadow of death.

and I had to ask the question HOW DO WE GET A SHADOW.

a shadow is a dark area where light from a light source, is blocked by an object.

So wherever we see a shadow, that mean that light source is there somewhere.

and when we leard to take our eyes of the shadow of death and fix our eyes on our source of light, we would be in a much better situation.

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the valley is a place that I can’t avoid

the valley is a place that I’m not afraid

but then the valley is a place

I'm not alone.

He says ye through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because God is with me.

and If God is with me, there is nothing or no one that can harm me.

and even in this I want you to know.

that though it may be hard

Though you may have moments where you are hurting

Though you may have moment where you cry,

know that you serve a God, who will always be with you.

There is never a time that God will not be with you