God With Us In the Valley

Hey, it's good to have everyone here at this morning and I were so thankful for you being here. We're going to begin a new series this morning series titled God is is with us or God With Us during this Advent season, and I want to share with you what I want to hopefully get out of this series of messages. I I want us to look at a a very powerful theological term that that we used during Christmas time and and that term is the Incarnation the Incarnation and so that's an important term that word actually means that God became flesh and eat lives among us and we're so thankful for that this morning and so during this series of messages, I would like to begin this mess. And every message during the Advent season with the scripture out of Matthew chapter one, which reads this it says look the Virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel which me what I want what I want you to do with this morning. I beginning with day we would just say it with me this morning. They will call him Immanuel which means god with us. God is with us this morning church. They will call him Immanuel which means he is with us. It's about ready said the title of our message to this during this Siri is God With Us and because of that this morning we can have the whole that we talked about in the lighting of her Advent candle this morning the hope of God. And for those of you who are followers of Christ this morning, it's it's so easy. It's so easy to believe that God is with us when we're on the Mountaintop. Hey, man, when everything is gone or way when when When we were on that mountain and and things seems to be going well, but sometimes sometimes you know you and I we we go through the valley. I mean, yeah, there are those mountain tops when when everything seems to be going right or maybe for the majority of things at least, you know, when when when when you receive some good news or pay raise or where you know, you get this first night when the baby sleeps through the night or for you to get that that that parking spot right up close to the to the mall, you know where yet you don't have to walk in a Day's Journey to get into the shopping center and he actually bought the right up close, you know, but it's easy to sense God's presence.

When things are going good when things are are are are are going right in our life when you feel that you're on top of the mountain. But there are times that can become difficult. Difficult to send his presence. When when your you if you will when you're in the valley when things aren't going the way you would like them to go when when you get the bad news of cancer. I'm going and delivering it your your your babies and getting this bad news. I mean Reserve alleys that can hit us with when you're hurting maybe when you feel a little bit of loan. We we we celebrate Christmas in the wheel of the Isle of the holiday season from Thanksgiving all the way through to the New Year's, but it's also the time we bring back green Fin and memories that that that that we don't want to to remember, you know in and when you're you're worried or when you're afraid or when you're battling even depression Did those are times in your life that does valleys can become dark until I want to talk to us this morning about God With Us in the valley. God With Us in the valley There's something interesting to me.

So much of life. Can be that Mountaintop so many areas in our life. Everything can be going really really well. But then there's just this one thing. This one thing that can pop up an area in our life with is that that that just takes all those mountain top things that are going on in our lives. And brings us down. You know what I'm saying? You understand what I'm saying this morning everything in our lives can be going really really well, but this one thing Pops up and it brings us down so much good. But this one thing really really begins or earlier or becomes a serious weight to your life it drags you down. the time this time of year as I said can be

Did great for a lot of people however, there's some days that things that are just are well you get that news and it's just a heartbeat away from being a really bad experience in your life. This past Thanksgiving is just a little over a week ago my son decided. Did he was wanting to it to try to get the family together for for Thanksgiving we've done much outside of just the my immediate family for for several years. And when I was younger, I can remember tables being but it up against each other and and go to your grandma's house and everybody would be there, you know, and we had an experience that or I had at least for quite a while and my son gets cited. He was like to experience some of that and it might make my cousin or my nieces and and and their kids and my brother and his family were really close to my my kids when we were growing up and so he wanted invite them and it ended up. I don't know about 17 people on Thanksgiving dinner for us, which was a big crowd for us and it was a good time. It was a good time. Everything was If you will, everything was perfect. I mean the turkey I mean I showed some pictures of it the other night man and I like taking pictures of my turkey and Christian and I will be just like I loved her. I know she does too and it came out from Golden Brown and came out I do and end in moist and it was really a good detergent should be getting hungry can is that what's going on in Turkey was I mean, it was fabulous and in the ham was pretty good to me babe. And of course Chrissy's pie or lemon pies that you make is just out of this world. Most of the time most of the time most of the time they're they're smooth and mmm, but I love my lemon pies and we was having a good time. It's it's sort of what you live for. You know what I mean? It's it's sort of the thing that that you live for and and and and so

it was just a perfect perfect day.

togetherness family special special time everything going well, and then it was a You know what? I'm talking about everything going well, and then it wasn't. McMaster John Deere in our prayers and we was just right after Thanksgiving that I was on Facebook and I seen a post from his wife Sue Sue had posted that they had him in the ER and and didn't know what was going on.

To make a long story short I guess is what I should do here. It ended up he's having bypass surgery. Tomorrow. Things are going good. I mean Pastor John things like that can just take the wind right out of your you know what? I mean. He loves this time of year. He loves to get out and hunt and not only does it, you know love to Thanksgiving and Christmas time, but he loves to get out and Hunt spend time with his son. And and even I think I think Natalie his granddaughter Natalie, I think even went out with him there. I think it was last Tuesday and they were out hunting and they weren't having a good day at all and so big they came back home early in it been having some some pain down in his arms, and I've been taking thinking of something else and so forth and so on and I think they came home that evening in the eat went in and took a shower and Sue didn't know anything going on, but he went in and took a shower to come out of the shower. Cuz you know what? I think I better go to the ER everything going good Sue. Just wow what we mean. What's going on? What do you need to go to the ER? And then just 24 hours later. They they got him up in Morgantown rated, dude. Quadruple, maybe even more bypass surgery on it. That's a big load to your lying. There. You are you're riding the mountains family from all over the perfect moment the moment you live for. Times like this that you just enjoy and then there's the valley. There's that moment of tragedy that comes in and just steals everything. that you've been hoping for

unfortunately Fortunately, some of you are there right now some reason you were some seasons and areas of your life are really really good. You're there. You're enjoying it. Things are going well for you, you know, you know, the marriage is blessed the the the the kids are making me a little crazy and in there making some maybe some some stupid decision and nnn that hurts so much when when that happens in our lives, but maybe you're really really close to God and in a sense you're feeling his presents and in things are going well there but at the same time you're afraid you're going to lose your job or maybe your family. I'm thinking of an individual right now that I helped. I was just real close to the whole family when I was used leader and he's got four five kids now and a beautiful family in and he smacked in the face here. Just this past week we can have with his wife leaving even in and living with the boss and boom. Things were going I mean he just called me here a few months back and I don't know late at night one night and he was driving back from wherever he was working. And he's he says new password. I had to call you. God lead you on my heart and want to just to tell you how you know, he's been blessing me and I was just so excited about the Lord. and then boom you get to smack you get that Valley in your life where you just don't know where to turn or maybe the bad news, you know, you're really excited about the holidays and all in the birth of your new child and and you get smacked in the face.

You're so many good things and yet there may be one or two things in your life the kind of just take you down into that Valley. So what I want to bring out this morning. Is where is God?

Where is God in those valleys when you look at scripture? It's it's interesting than that darling can represent several different things and it can if you can represent battles that have taken place a lot of battles are in in the scriptures are taking place down in the valley. You see some of you right now you're in that battle you're down in that Valley. You're fighting. Battling something. If and in the middle of that Valley where where things are going against you valleys also wear seasons of depression in scripture Bally's where are where also the season of loneliness as I mentioned earlier it is this can be a lonely time for a lot of people who are left without loved ones that they've been spent years with your mom Jennifer, you know, we just need to continue to pray. And others, you know, we just we want to lift them up and would encourage them and it's interesting that The Valleys were also time. However of growth valleys can be a time of growth in our lives that that you may enjoy God and in some ways on the Mountaintop, but it's down in those Valley those experiences down in the valley with him that can get you to understand him in different ways when you're there in that Valley to see his character in a different way in a different manner. In fact, if you're taking notes, I'd like to I'd like to say this

We may enjoy God on the mountain tops.

But my friend it's down there in The Valleys when we get to know him intimately.

You hear what I'm saying this morning? It may be we I mean, we do enjoy God on the mountain tops amen, but it's good to be on the mountain. But we're not we're not knocking at this morning. But what I want you to do and understand that God is with us even in the valley. Hey, man, it's in the valley where where we grow. It's in the valley where we learn things about God that we may have never learned while we were on the mountain. It's so went when your wee-wee. Enjoy God on the mountain tops, but we get to know him intimately in the valley. We know him. We enjoy him with when times are really really good. But we get to know him differently in a different way when we're in the balance. So I want to to to look at Psalms 84 this morning other text from the Old Testament and in as I was as we look at this text this morning, I want to look at this passage and hopefully bring some insight that will impact your life in a spiritual way that is very very real for you during this time in this season of your life and we'll start with with verse 5 this morning and go down through verse 7. We just stand with me. I don't want you to go to sleep on me this morning. So it won't you being with me for a moment as we read God's word together. Verse 5 blessed are those who strength is in you whose heart or set in the pill on on pill risk? Blessed blessed blessed are those who find their strength in God not in yourself, but find strength in God Vine blessed are those whose strength is in you God find your strength, and that's where our strength is from church. And he goes on to say whose hearts are set on the pilgrimage as they pass through the Valley of Baca. They make a place of Springs the Autumn rains also cover it with pools and they go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion. You may be seated father. We thank you for your word this morning and help is the game the Insight that we need in Christ name. Amen.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca.

verse 6 first part of verse 6 as they pass through the Valley of Baca. What is the Valley of Baca? Well, it is actually a place if in in Palestine, but but but here in in the Valley of Baca was with the song This is most likely trying to relate it to a tree that the spelling is very similar to 2/8 a tree industry would choose out with sad. It would be a tree that you would see as you would walking down the road and and you would look at this tree in the sad would be spewing out of it or losing out of it. And in people would say that the tree was called a a weeper.

It would look like the tree was if you will cry. It in so it it it could be the DiSalvo's relating that here in this this song for us. And that's why this Valley of Baca is translated in different ways in in the scripture. It's sometimes called the Valley of Tears and sometimes called the the valley of weeping or even the valley of loss and all-time you anytime you see a valley in the Bible. You would see a place that is well, very very dangerous. It was a dangerous place to to walk there be thorns and there be any animals wild animals in probably vicious cats, which is against Satan's favorite animal in the valley and then they would and they would be people there waiting to jump you and Rob you. In fact, it was a very difficult place to get through without something bad happening to you. And this is why in the song that says in verse 5 blessed are those who strength is his found in you or blessed are those who strength is found in God? Now, I don't know but maybe there's someone here this morning or listening on lines are watching online and spit may not be a follower of Jesus Christ this morning in and I'm glad that they're here or let listening or whatever. But but what I would I want to understand if you don't know God intimately that is to say if you've not accepted Jesus as your savior, this is where we need to start we've got to it. We've got to have him in our lives to be able to have access to this string. Blessed are those whose strength is in you God? You know.

Lot of times when we not accepted Christ. People that you may know or I may know you you probably heard them in the valleys are in the dark moments of their lives. I really don't know how to get through them without God or I really dumb in comprehensible to me how that can happen, but you probably have heard them say was I just had enough. I'm at the end of my road. I can't I can't do it anymore. I'm overwhelmed. I'm exhausted. I just don't have enough.

Those moments in their lives in the truth is if you don't know God intimately is your personal savior, then what you have is all that you have. You you don't have no strength outside of yourself and others around you but for those who are Christ's followers those who are Christians this morning, we believe that we have a string that is goes beyond what you and I have on our own when we get tired and wore out that we have access to the Heavenly strength of divine strength in the song that says blessed. Are those who find their strength in you? Your Man

This is good news for those who are Christ's followers. There is a power bigger than you. If our God when you hit the end of your street history is made perfect in our weakness.

His strength scripture says is absolutely perfect. Blessed are those who strength are found or is found in God and if you were in the middle of a valley right now you have access to something that is very very real a very real present power of a good God who is available to come and ready to come to assist you in your time of need blessed are those who strength is found in God? The text doesn't say blessed are those who who make it on their own if if if if it doesn't say blessed are those who pull themselves up by the bootstraps? It doesn't it doesn't say blessed are those who are really really determined. No, it doesn't. You see we were created by God to depend on him and to depend on others. We were we were created to have fellowship with God and one another. That joint that was our strength and blessed. Are you when you realize it and understand that you must depend on the power that is greater than yourself. I can't get through the day in My Own Strength. It's only by the God in my life through Jesus Christ and some of you right now need to need to lean into that some of you that are listening or hearing or watching tonight you we we need to lean in that you need you need to just admit it that I don't have what it takes. I need his presence in my life. Blessed are those who strength is found in God? I want to show you a verse 5 in a different translation because I had like the way it is presented to us and translates it. It's out of the New Living Translation in it. It says this what joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord who have set their mind. Mind on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. I don't know there's something about that. What joy for those what Joy we're on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in and what does that mean? Well, we may be in the valley, but we are going to whip was known as the City of Refuge or we're going to the place that we call the the place of peace.

One, Terry said it like this to get the set to the City of Refuge. You had to travel through the valley of Tears.

Sometimes to get where you really appreciate the presents in the power of God, you have to push through a little bit of pain to get to the presence of the goodness of God.

We're so many the valley is the pathway to the place of peas. We push through the valley work on that pilgrimage this way. This is the way the song has has said it with joy for those who strength comes from the Lord who had to set their minds blessed. Are those who have set their minds board God? What do you think my friend matters so much? Hello. What you think matters so much in her life Paul talked about it a lot in the New Testament to the Colossians that he he told him and verse two of chapter 3. He said set your mind on things above not on things of this Earth set our minds with beans and he tells me Philippians in chapter 4 verse 8. He said to them he says finally brothers and sisters. Whatever is true. Whatever is Noble whatever is right, whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is in my herbal. Listen. Whatever is a marble set if there's anything that is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.

We need to set our things on things above not on things of this earth when you

do that my friend the problems of this world. Seem a lot smaller.

Where are you where you are is one thing. You may be down in that Valley where you are as one thing, but what you think about is something else?

When you think about matters?

listen Someone needs to hear this. Your current situation maybe in the valley. But your mind can still be upon God.

Hear what I'm saying? So many times that situation Drexel Oliver tension in their energy toward it and we we forget that even God is out there to help.

I've been there.

He is there for us and we've got to remember that even in the valleys.

Somebody needs to hear that this morning. Your current situation in that Valley. Might be terrible. But we need to Keep Her Mind Set On God. You're so maybe 18 your mind.

However is set on God. Your emotions maybe racing in your your your not knowing what to do, but you could still fix your mind toward God. There may be too much to do and you may be wondering how we're going to pay for Christmas and on and on and on and on and on.

And there may be real tragedies in the valley. But my mind is set upon the goodness of God.

He's there for me. He's there for you. He wants to be there for us greater is the one who is in me than he who is in the world.

My God is going before me to prepare a place away for me. It's beer gives me strength when I'm weak. I need him every moment of every day. His words are like a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

When I cannot make it his power is very very real. I may be able to run maybe in a valley but my mind can be set up on the kingdom of God. You see I'm on a pilgrimage. I'm just passing through our life is like a vapor here-today-gone-tomorrow. I'm going to a place a piece you may be in the valley in your mind can be fixed on Jesus Christ.

verse 6 says this

back of Psalms 84 verse 6 as they pass through the Valley of Baca. They make it a place of Springs.

The King James version says it like this. Who passing through the Valley of Baca?

Make it a well. The rain also feel it.

I don't know what's going on p k

The King James says it hopefully it'll stay this time and not jump off on me.

That make it is a well. The rain also fill is the pools. in other words whenever you go in a dry place What do you want to do? Do you want to get water right get your going through a dry pace you're going through that bakar. You're going through that Valley that time of difficulty. What what is the scripture saying that you need to do? It's saying to you and me that we need to make it a well. You dig a well you make a well you take it clear away a little hole and it has it as a container for the provision of the rain that God will send. It's a dry and thirsty place but you dig that. Well, you're going to you know, God is going to work, you know, God is going to do something. But when when when when you're dry and when you're hurting you got to make room for the presence of God you make room for the present provisions of God in your life. You make a well, but it's but it hasn't rained yet. But still you're going to make the well.

Why because I know that God will provide what I need. So I make a container preparing for the presence of the provisions of God. It's almost as if God would say to you and me something like this you show me your faith. And I will show you my faithfulness. You show me your faith and I will show you my faithfulness. If you did get I will feel it. If you dig it. I will feel it.

If you prepare for me.

I will show up.

You show me your faith and I'll show you my favorites Jesus. Jesus apparently had the same kind of philosophy in the New Testament. Remember the guy who had the wizard up hand instead of Jesus saying I'm going to kill you. Jesus says they have no stretch out your hand and I will heal it you show me you show me that you believe and I can do it and I will do it you stretch out your hand. He could have done it with the hand still in the Cove, right? But he stretched out and see what it what about the guy that had been playing for 38 years and couldn't walk. He didn't just say that, you know, Jesus is Perry your heel. You don't know instead. He said take up your mat. You get up and you show me that you believe that I can make you walk if you show me your faith. I will show you my faithfulness. I don't know who this will speak to but someone needs to hear it. If you did get God going to feel it. If you plan it gun is going to grow it. And if you plant your seed before you see the Harvest then God will bring the Harvest if you pray. God hears the prayer if you did if you prepare your God will reveal himself to you when you're in the dryer place you make a well you prepare for a print the present to the provisions of God. If you show me your fake. God says I'll show you my faithfulness. I love

the are Promises of the scriptures if you do this If you do this, then God says I'll do this if you draw near me. What does God say? I'll draw near you.

You show me what that you believe and I will show you my present. If you would she say if you seek me with all your heart you will what find me.

If you make room for me, I will reveal myself to you. Maybe maybe listen Maybe you listen to me today and you haven't since the presence of God in your life in awhile. It's been awhile. Maybe maybe it's time to maybe it's time to make a well.

Maybe it's time that that the dig a ditch and they say it's it's time to say God. I'm going to stop I'm going away. We talk about waiting on God this morning if in Sunday school class, maybe we need to just dig that ditch and did that well and wait and prepare for God's provision in his presence to come. Because my friend if you dig it, he's going to fill it. Think about this. God rarely reveals himself to people who are rushed why because we're so busy and wrapped up in the moment that we can't even think about God. We maybe need to slow down. This is a busy time of season. Think think about that this morning. This should stinky. I mean imagine Moses, right? He sees the burning bush as he's driving 75 miles an hour and he sees that but I mean, maybe I'll take a picture and put it on Instagram. I don't know. But he's busy he's rushing. He's going through things. But that's not what God says. God says to him. Hey, why don't you stay a while? In fact, why don't you take off your shoes? Because the ground you're standing on Is Holy Ground? slow down slow down. Why don't you why don't you for a moment be still he says be still and know that I am God. Why don't you make a well and then and then we wait on me to feel it because if you dig a well, I will feel it. If you seek me, you will find me if you draw near me. I will draw near to you if you be still and know that I am God.

During this busy season is lot of us. It may need to hear that this morning.

Tomorrow's just need to make a little bit of time paper little bit of time and prepare and say to God I want to meet you and I'm going to wait for you and I'm going to believe that you're going to reveal yourself to me because I need you right now. Here's what I hope you'll understand this morning. God never promised you that he would never good that you would never go through the valley. He never promised any of this that but what he does promise.

Pinky promise you would never have to go through the valley alone. God With Us God With Us in Matthew chapter 1 verse 23, once again this morning the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel. Which means god? with this the song that says this

As we journey through the Valley of Baca.

We're going we're going to we're going to a place of peace out on that Journey. God has a destination for it. a place of peace Eminem verse 7 they go from strength to strength strength to strength until each appear before God in Zion my friend. They go from blessed are those who strength is found in God blessed are those who strength is found in you? Oh God. We need to understand this morning and then they go from a little strength. To a little more strength to even more strength because God strength is greater than our strength could ever be and then a little more of his strength and do each person appears before God in Zion. They will go from strength to strength from strength-to-strength not are straight, but it's train and who's We Praise Him in the valley and we enjoy him on the Mountaintop. But listen to me, we got to know him in the vet. We get to know him in the valley.

In the tin the Bally's where he Reveals His character his sense and we sent his strength in the way that we can't otherwise since it and see his dream and when we are totally and completely understand our needed him we can have nothing else. There's nothing else that's going to do and we know that we are traveling through the valley that were just there for a moment. We're just passing through it's just a passing through church. God is a good god and where we're going he has a place of peace and prosperity that we can imagine in our lives here today. And so when you feel weak Who is God? Wheel in the middle of your weakness God is your strength.

When you in the darkness, who is God wear when you're in the darkness, we've got to remember that God is the light in the midst of Darkness.

When you're in the season of trouble. Who is our God? Scripture tells us to use with joy in trouble the comforter that comforter in the middle of your pain. That's who God is church. We we pass through the valley even though we're in the valley. We do not fear. Why because God is with us the same God that is good on the Mountaintop is the same God in the valley. We we get to know him in the valley. And if you're in the valley right now in packages of passing through you won't be there forever. We keep we when we we can't handle anymore. We lean on him and then learn from his string and his his place in our lives. And so right now this morning, we we just thank God that wherever we go. We scan since him when you can't handle anymore. What's the salt with David say even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. Why because you owe God or with us. Who are you? You are Emmanuel. God With Us

So father I pray this morning cuz we come to a close in this service. I pray especially for those this morning who are in the valley that would we just need to send you and to see you and maybe maybe experience you for the very first time that you would be everything that they need that they would understand that. And they were just grab ahold of that this morning. I don't know. Maybe someone here this morning with just so you Pastor Toby. I am kind of with you here this morning night. I got a lot of areas in my life that you know, they're good. They're going well, but there's there's this one area of my life sebali been a little difficult been a lot difficult. And I need God's presence. Would you would you just raise your hand for a moment and I'll pray for you. Would you just be honest with yourself this morning? Would you just lift your hands? Say yeah, I'm with you this morning. I understand what you're saying pray for me. You pray for me. Anyway, God bless you. See that again. anyone else Father I pray that you would move in the lives of each and everyone of us this morning that you would reveal yourself to thank you that there are those here today who will maybe make a well paired with that you want to make for them and their lives maybe even that you're maybe even sent your presence once again, and it's a God. We just pray pause for a moment pray that that you would meet their need today. You say in your scripture. If we draw near to you God that you will draw near to us and I pray for a miracle that we talked about this morning of God's touch upon lives. But other than that had some bad news that are going through the valley this morning and we thank you that even before you answer these prayers that you are on the Move. We know that you're working. We we praise you God and not just for what you do, but but we we praise you for who you are and we thank you. We thank you that you are a manual. God With Us go with us father from this place of worship this morning bring us back to the next appointed service that we might never fail to praise you and honor you and all that. We do you Christ name we pray and all of God's people said amen. Amen shake hands with one another and you may be dismissed.