This world is not our Home!

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.”-{Phil 3:20}.

Our Citizenship is there not here, Our Savior is there… and here are some truths we can Know as we TRAVEL this road Home, which is not without its difficulties along the way, life would teach us that, and our experiences would know that the Word of God would confirm that, as we seek to Honor Him, as we head to the Father’s House.

We are not excluded from troubles, Valleys of darkness, and difficulties, and there are some truths that we need to be familiar with, to THINK on as we THINK our way through the various Valleys we COME UP TO and are to walk THROUGH…So, here are a few things to know,…

In Each and every Valley, you will encounter…

1.- TEMPTATION IS A REALITY–

Comes from two sources primarily;

  • FROM WITHOUT- satan. “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain,”-(Luke 22:31 Ampc; read Matt 4:1-11)
  • FROM WITHIN- the Traitor within is – ourselves! “No one is to say when he is tempted, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”-{James 1:13-15}.

2.- TRIALS ARE INEVITABLE –

James does not say “If” but “WHEN,” we encounter trials of all types. Trials are inevitable -(James 1:2). Peter said, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”-{1 Peter 4:12.} “Our LORD Jesus confirmed, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world, YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”-{John 16:33}. And yet we are often surprised when trials come our way, aren’t we? falsely believing that we somehow should be excluded from them or don’t deserve them as we appeal to our own “good works” as reasons why we should be exempt! No follower of Christ is exempt! God has purposes in them, even taking the evil of others against us as He did with Joseph’s brothers and producing “good” that Jospeph would recognize and confess, and that good extended to the lives of others. -{Read Genesis 50:20}. God has a purpose in our pain, and trials as you well know at times can be heart-wrenchingly so.” But God…” trials do not have the final say, God does! Trials are inevitable and the LORD is and has the answer, which brings us to the next truth to know as you walk or help someone walk through the valley of difficulty, namely…

3.- TRUTH IS IMPERATIVE!–

God’s Word instructs us how to handle Trials, His way. In James 1:2-5. We all are familiar with trials, troubles of different sizes, sorrows, and intensities, aren’t we? We are also familiar as we look back at them and how we respond to them. It is as though we have a”default” mechanism, whether that is running to the fridge for food for emotional “comfort” during that time, or responding irritably, angrily, or turning inward and spiraling down into despair into hopelessness that grips us like a vice, or we try and take things in our own hands excluding the LORD like the disciples in John 6:1-5, when Jesus asked about the feeding of the crowds.

Two of them looked at the situation and concluded it could not be done. The task was too much beyond their comprehension, therefore they concluded wrongly it could not be done. We too can look at a situation and lean again and again to our own understanding and leave out Jesus from the equation like them. Jesus said He did this to “test them, for He Himself knew what He was going to do… {Read John 6:6} and He did it. He fed the multitudes and had enough left over for the disciples, so all were satisfied! Trials come and one of our “defaults,” no matter how much we have seen Him meet in the past either delivering us from troubles or giving us supernatural grace to go through them, is to lean to our own understanding, excluding Him. It is a habit we have and have, and one that dishonors Him for it is not the way of faith in him, but confidence in ourselves, a perverted faith that looks to self and not the Sovereign Sufficient Savior! In essence, we do not trust Him! We still firmly at times want to control instead of relinquishing control to Him, the Creator, sustainer of all things!

The LORD uses trials, of all sorts to desire for Himself to be our “Default,” to turn to Him first and take Him at His Word. To trust Him and this trust is built on Truth. For He is true and His Word is truth and with obedience to the truth comes freedom, from and including our false concepts, our false gods which include ourselves in the way we respond to trials by choosing to lean upon ourselves rather than Him who gives us life, breath and sustains us. Like sheep, we are often foolish and we need the LORD to SHEPHERD us for He knows best, and is the wisest of all. And in truth, He imparts the way, His way to view and respond to trials.

He gives 4 commands for each and every trial without exception.

A.- “Count it all joy,” this does not mean to command your emotions. You can’t command emotions. But they can be controlled and produce the effect God does – joyful confidence is what He does by His Spirit through His Word, giving the reasons to rejoice, namely

B.- ”Knowing,” which has to do with “an understanding mind.” God does not want His people ignorant but informed and the TRUTH of His Word does this. We know from James He is “producing endurance,” maturing us spiritually and He has chosen trials as one means. Trials can be wasted but not if we follow the Shepherd’s Word for and in them!

C.-“Let,” has to do with submission. Submit to the above commands…because of what you “Know!”

D.-“Ask,” when you don’t know what to do in the situation, He commands you to “Ask for Wisdom,” and He promises He will give it to you!

4.- TRUST IS A NECESSITY 

– Why? “…without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”-{Hebrews 11:6}. Faith pleases Him. Faith Glorifies Him- (Read Romans 4:19-21}. So when you trust Him, taking Him at His Word,It pleases and Glorifies God!

Trust is not developed in a vacuum but through Knowledge. Information from GOD’S Word is meant to bring about a transformation of Christlike character, and God does this when we choose to make Application of His Word. It does not happen in our own strength but through the power of the Holy Spirit working “…IN YOU, to give you the DESIRE and POWER to PLEASE Him!”- (Read Phil 2:13 NLT.) It is a process of learning to walk trusting Him and not ourselves. And at times the LORD can use trials to wean us off self-reliance as He was doing with Paul in his afflictions and unto God dependency and in turn strengthen our faith in Him,”… who raises the dead!”-(Read 2 Cor 1:9). David confidently said, “I walk THROUGH The Valley.” And It was based on the character of what He knew personally about the Shepherd! And as a result, He said His “Rod and Staff” “COMFORT Me!” Confidence and Comfort are found in the Shepherd to walk THROUGH the Valley of darkness and difficulties with Him. Not based on what he felt, but on what he knew- The truth of the Shepherd’s guaranteed presence and the confidence he had as a result and the comfort his “Rod and Staff” brought to him, because He knew whose Hands they were and David said, as a result, he was being “pursued” by His “Godness and Unfailing Love!” love!

YOU NEVER GO THROUGH A VALLEY UNACCOMPANIED! REMEMBER THAT!

Remember that. As we are prone to forget! The LORD, your Shepherd is always with you! Acknowledge He is present not because you “feel,” He is, or isn’t, but because His Word says so. And He never breaks His Promises! Thank Him you know some of the purposes He desires to produce in you as a result based on Scripture as in James1:2-5.

** Trials do not produce spiritual growth! Responding to trials God’s way does. And that takes faith in Him, His Word!

5.- TRIUMPH IS ASSURED –

For Triumph is found in a Person- Our LORD Jesus Christ! He has secured the victory, “…When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”-{Col 2:15}…saving us from the penalty and power, and one day the presence of sin, that we may walk in newness of life. He has saved us from out under the authority of satan, and saved us from the wrath of God. Not only saved, rescued, delivered us from spiritual danger, ” but has saved us “To.” To Himself ultimately-{Read 1Cor 1:9}, Saved us to a life of no condemnation in Christ, a life with the ability to walk in newness of life. Adopted into the family of God! Beloved by Him, accepted in Him, not based on what we have done but because of all who He is and what He has done! Victory is found exclusively in and derived from our, yes yours and my LORD Jesus Christ… Our Shepherd who will walk us THROUGH the valley of sorrow, difficulties, and dangers, darkness even through death itself, and with David we conclude we need “I will fear no evil for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me….”-{Psalm 23:6} Victorious! Victory is assured because of Him! “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”-( 1 John 5:4)

STAY IN THE WORD;

And let the Word reveal our LORD Jesus to you, and rule and guide you! Read it, meditate often upon it, pray it, apply it… and Faith will be developed in the furnace of affliction… as you walk THROUGH The Valley with the knowledge the Shepherd is with you!

The Knowledge of God and submission to Him strengthens us to Walk with Him THROUGH any Valley. That does not mean it’s easy or without resistance from the evil one or the traitor within! But the LORD enables us to overcome. – (Read 1 Cor 10:13.)

Take the above Scripture references and read them and in doing so you allow the Holy Spirit to use His Word to strengthen your faith and at times straighten out your false perceptions of what God is desiring to do in your trials! Stick to the Word as your foundation, not to how you feel. This can be easier said than done, it is a fight for our mind and emotions which can and often do lie to us that there is a “better way, a different way,” than God’s way when we encounter trials of all sorts. Speak the truth often to yourself, so as to feed your mind, as Paul told Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is TRUE… think on these things.” Think right and in verse 9 he tells them to do right, “The things you have seen in me practice…” as we align ourselves with God’s way- Think right, do right we will find our emotions will align up right! Faith comes by hearing and heeding the Word of God- the truth. and we are told to renew our minds through the truth,.. and ley the Word ofChrist richly- not as some vain exercise such as who can memorize the most- but be rich in theWord as this is what the Spirit of truth teaches, guides, corrects and reveals the LORD to us through. He gives us light for our paths, including trials, and how to navigate them in a way that ultimately honors Him, when we trust Him. Taking Him at His Word and following Him in what He says to our circumstances including our Valleys of difficulties and darkness on our way to the…Father’s House!

** David was tempted in the valley with fear of evil but the Truth, the promise that the Shepherd was with him caused him to Trust Him!

Hope these 5 TRUTHS FOR THE VALLEY-

Temptation Is a Reality,

Trials Are Inevitable,

Truth Is A Necessity,

Trust Is Imperative,

Triumph Is in Christ.

Will Encourage you as you walk THROUGH your Valley…on the way to the Father’s House…. and also that you would use these 5 TRUTHS FOR THE VALLEY to… encourage OTHERS!

God bless

Aidan.