Valley of Disappointment

valley of disappointment Imagine for a moment traveling to JFK airport in NYC - trip NY to LA / long-distance flight / starting new journey - leave things behind you / not easy leaving old friends & family - Leaving a familiar environment / habits you wanted to change - on your way might be pit stops / or breaks You have been waiting / right time - Sit & wait before you board / wait on runway - Pilot checks weight & balance calculation / accounts 4 fuel - Nervous before takeoff / hear engine roar / feel acceleration - energy harnessed 2 rolls royce turbofan engines - Plane accelerates / feel he push back in seat - plane lifts off ground / wheels up / steep climb into air 13 Flying finally - staying in air / all good / after a while / seems it’s taken long time - longer than originally expected / pilot promised 6 ½ hr flight - 6 hrs into flight / pilot gets on the intercom / says: - we actually have another 7 hours to go / ​How disappointing! This is the “valley of disappointment” point in our journey / / right after decisions made / committed takeoff - Pilot V1+ / takeoff no matter what happens - little progress /positive results are few and far between - can’t see value of our efforts in this moment / - It’s easy to think, “what’s the use? Why bother? You probably are in the “valley of disappointment” How did Jesus felt at the end of his public ministry? - working hard / but hopes & dreams…gone / disappointment 13 - Palm Sunday / time 2 celebrate / Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem - disciples praised God / 4 all miracles they had seen Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. We won! We won! We finally have our king!” - Easy 2 overlook important detail / bring us 2 Jesus’ heart - Jesus approached Jerusalem / saw city / wept over it / said If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes (​Luke 19:42) rocket ship launches - space shuttle uses more fuel during first few minutes of its flight - than rest of the entire trip. Why? - Because it has to break free from the pull of gravity. - Once it does, it can glide in orbit. The hard part? - Getting off the ground. 13 - Your old ways / your old conditioning = does not want to change - There will be phsycial resistance to change - just like a merry-go-round especially when you feel you are in the valley of disappointment If we only had to beat gravity ​once​ to start new habits - we’d all have the bodies we want / bank accounts to match - Prayer life we desire / revival every week - Instead, we have to repeatedly beat the pull of old ways - and do everything we can just maintain our flight in orbit - Often that is insufficient / find ourselves on rapid descent toward terrain - activate terrain warning Kobe Bryant tragedy ….pilot - pilot, Ara Zobayan / instrument-certified pilot - Flight instructor / 13 years of commercial flying - told air traffic controllers / last message /climbing to avoid cloud bank 13 - Became disoriented despite all experience / training - Pilots responsibility for every family member / helicopter - Yet he smashed / side of valley / nearly 200 mph / killing everyone - Did he have a choice to make a different, life saving decision? We always have a choice, even... In the valley of disappointment The Valley Is A Temporary Place one thing / God is always at work - Life crossroads / face trials / tribulations - point not knowing / point of rotation / no return - you can always trust in God valley experiences - part of life / Every time we go through valley experiences - why does God allow us to go through them 23rd Psalm - David /deep, dark valley / no ray of light 13 - you feel like you are not going to make it. - Valleys / never dead-end streets / don't lead to disaster - disappointments, frustrations, discouragements - dilemmas of life =they are valleys - Don’t classify them as disaster - David refers to them as a shadow. Yea, though I walk through the v ​ alley of the shadow of death,​ I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 David knew about the valley of disappointment Complaining will make no difference - It makes it worse / have you ever felt better after it? Complaining about your valley - Despite all good intentions - Despite not achieving the desired outcome - Despite hard work and investment to do better / right - Is like complaining about an ice cub not melting - When you heat it from 25 degree to 31 degree !!!! 13 You work / efforts were not wasted / they were stored - All the actions happen at 32 degrees / - Right temperature / right condition for it to melt the valley of disappointment The valley is the only route to our promise-land - no alternate route - Egyptians chased Israelites to Red Sea - no way for them to go around it - God made a way / to cross when we journey through the valley - keep in mind / God will make a way. - keep in mind: His grace / leading / mercy = will never fail - His way is not the one we would have imagined / wished - He may do opposite of what we expect Him to do - journeying through the valley / question God’s timing Results are not linear / - We think results must be linear / equal to effort we put in 13 - I pray 20 minutes a week / expect this or that - I give 100 a month / expect financial blessings for 1000 - And if doesn’t happen / there’s no point in moving forward - Reap what you sow does not produce linear harvest - 100 seeds don't produce 100 ears of corn - Result: seeds good habits / fall by wayside / get trampled To make a difference - Habits need to persist long enough to break through - Plateaus need to be crossed / bridged - The reason you have not succeeded - Is not because you can not change / improve - Is not because God does not or can help - You have not crossed the valley yet - You have not made it across the plateau of your potential You will make it through the valley of disappointment Where do you live? The question is where do you do most of your living? 13 - Do you live on a mountain or in a valley? David / 23rd Psalm - valley of shadow of death / physical location - another name for road btw Jerusalem / Jericho - where Good Samaritan helped the man along the way - winding road / very steep / - shepherds take flocks through / on way to fields - People hid in the caves / to steal lambs to eat David wrote 23rd Psalm against this background The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. 4E ​ ven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,​a I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 ​ ​You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 ​ ​Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Where do you do most of your living? - mountaintop or in the valley? 13 When you finally break through When you make it through ​the valley of disappointment - Casual onlookers will call it an overnight success - People prefer to see an instant success and its intensity - Intensity makes for a better story - But consistency is what is needed to make progress - we prefer dramatic events / over whats preceding them - The valleys and plateaus can be long - Its been hard work to just get here - For a long time, it didn’t seem you made any progress Human equivalent of geological pressure - Two tectonic plates rubbing against each other - While the plates grind / they build up pressure - Tension slowly builds up for years - One day they rub / like they have one for years - But now the tension is so great - An earthquake erupts - Change takes years to build up to / 13 God Will Meet You in the Valley - we struggle during our time in the valley - David reassures / we can make it through - after every mountaintop experience / there is a valley - you’re either going into one, coming out of one, or in the midst of a valley Jesus made this very clear to us “In the world you shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - You will have many trials and sorrows - people will misunderstand you; criticize, talk evil Don’t Take Up Residence in the Valley - God will meet us there / don’t take up residence - Some have been down so long / getting up / not on mind - Some people are in the valley so long / they stay there, 13 - they give up / stop praying - faith is challenged, hope is gone, - Be like 3 Hebrews = Shadrack, Meshack, Abednigo - Went through fiery furnace / didn’t camp there. Valley of Fear / Valley of Disapointment Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the ​Valley of Baca​, they ​make it a spring (WELL)​; the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”​ (Psalm 84:5-7) Don't stay there / make it a home - Make it a well - Or, a fountain - full, free, refreshing Psalmist tells / how to negotiate such journey - blessing / strength along this difficult path - heart set on Lord / as you pass through it 13 - Eyes fixed upon Him, trusting in Him, relying upon Him - He will turn “Valley of Weeping” into a place of refreshment become a place - find fresh springs / rain filled pools of refreshing water - instead of desolation / despair…... for your soul - draw upon the refreshment He provides 13