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He is still God of the valleys.

1 Kings 20:28  And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  

🎵 The God of the Mountain Is the God in the Valley When things go wrong He’ll make them right The God of the Good times Is the God in the Bad times The God of the Day Is the God in the Night.🎵

 Introduction:  I salute you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who has kept us alive by His Love.

In the six decades I have trodden, believe me brethren I have found myself in the valleys and only God’s presence has lifted me up. David said in

Psalm 23:4 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.

When approaching 1st Decade on earth, I remember my 1st mountain top in 1967 when I was called in the school assembly to collect price for coming 2nd in primary one. In those days, 1st-3rd positions from primary one to six will be called out with applause and gifts while the last three will also be called out to be flogged with cane. In that year, my step brother in primary five was called out for cane. I rushed home and found my mother and my 2nd step mother in the kitchen and relayed what happened on the school general assembly that I collected price while my step brother collected cane. My mother just covered my mouth and down played my rejoicing. Not quite 3days after, my step brother suddenly removed chair from my legs after putting me on high pedestal and I landed on my chin and fainted. I found myself in the valley at the hospital and God delivered me from death. My step mother defended her son who was her only child while I was the fifth from my mother, therefore it was nothing to her if I die. The scar is still on my chin till today. I was on top of the mountain when I collected price and in the valley of death from the wickedness of my step brother. Becoming an orphan towards second decade of my life in 1975 is another experience of valleys. I can tell you that in every decade, there has been top of mountains and down in the valleys. In all, the God with me on the mountains has never left me in the valleys.

The song above ministered to me and that is why I want to share with you that our God is still God in every of our valleys.

There are times in life that someone can be on top of the mountain, such as getting new jobs, promotion, marriage, children, victories and several goodies of life. As Christians, we ascribe these blessings and achievements to God. We recognise God’s presence in all these good times but quickly forget His presence once we are in the valleys of life.

In the valleys of life; such as lack of job or business, no marriage or children, in defeat or pains and several predicaments of life, as Christians, do we still recognise God’s presence? Is He still our God in bad times or we feel we have been abandoned?

What usually happens in the valleys of life for a Christian

1️⃣ Discouragement as problems are seen as giants that will prevent God’s promises in our lives when in the valley.  

Numbers 32:9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them.

What is encountered in the valley of life can bring discouragement to God’s promises in our lives. Beware of reports of those in the valley or coming from the valley of life who see impossibility of God’s promises for your life.

2️⃣ Lusts can bring Christians under the captive of the enemy found in the valleys.

Judges 16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

Samson was in the valley of Sorek when he lusted after Delilah that brought him down.

3️⃣ Fear of Goliath the Philistine, is found in the valley.

1 Samuel 17:2,11. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

Saul and Israelites were afraid to face Goliath and the Philistines that surrounded them in the valley. Threats are always in the valley, only those with the heart of David who remembered God’s presence in bad times can bring down Goliath in the valleys of life. Diseases and sicknesses of any kind can be your Goliath, telling you numerous people that died of that infirmity, only the heart of David can overcome that fear in your life.

4️⃣ Abandoning God’s inheritance when in the valley.

1 Chronicles 10:7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: Israelites that were in the valley fled when Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their inheritance. There is tendency to abandon God’s worship and service when in the valleys of life. When calamity befalls fathers-in-the Lord like Saul was to Israelites then, there is tendency to desert God’s inheritance and purposes for your life and allow strangers to take over. Beware of attachments to fathers- in-the Lord, if they fall in the valley of life, there is tendency to fall with them. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith if you must finish strong in the race to eternal life.

I came across the inscriptions on the footsteps several years ago. A man was walking alone in the wilderness and noticed two footsteps, he knew God was walking along with him. Then during his difficult times in the wilderness, he noticed only one footstep and concluded that God abandoned him during his difficult times. When he overcame bad times and continued walking in good times in the wilderness, he noticed two footsteps again. He then asked God why He left him alone in bad times when he could not see His footstep and only appeared in his good times. God replied; I never left you for a moment, the footstep you saw in your difficult times was mine because I carried you.

Concerning those who love God and obey His commandments, scriptures speak in 

Isaiah 46:4(NLT) I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

When you study 1Kings 20, from where we pick our verse for this week, Israel was under oppression of Ben-hadad the king of Syria under leadership of king Ahab. Ben-hadad asked for their gold, silver, wives and children, then Ahab fearfully conceded.

1 Kings 20:2-4 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

Can you imagine such oppression?. Despite the concession by Ahab, Ben-hadad the king of Syria still requested to search houses of God’s children and take pleasant things away❗

1 Kings 20:5-6 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.

Any child of God that concedes and compromises one way or the other to the enemy shall loose and be denied of good and pleasant things of life. You cannot compromise your faith in God for whatever reason and enjoy God’s blessings. Please note its a revelation.

To cut long story short, God fought for His children and their enemies were defeated. When Ben-hadad the king of Syria recovered from defeat, his council said Israel’s victory was because their God can only fight from the hills not in the valleys. Ben-hadad the king of Syria then planned battles again in the valley.

1 Kings 20:23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

God of Israel, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ then spoke through His servant in our text for today;

1 Kings 20:28  And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Brethren, the Lord is still God in the valleys of our lives. God Who has been with you in good times is faithful to His words and will never leave you in bad times. Don’t compromise your faith in Christ in your bad times. The Syrians were defeated in the valley and Israel had victory over their enemies.

🙏 In the valleys of your life, God will give you victory in Jesus name.

Let me just mention this as it came to me. Do you know Ben-hadad the oppressor of God’s children escaped death and came to beg Ahab to save his life. Unfortunately, Ahab accepted and called enemy of God that was marked for destruction his brother. Hear God’s judgment on the king of Israel

1 Kings 20:42(NLT) The prophet said to him, “This is what the lord says: Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people.”

Haa❗may we not suffer the consequences of compromising with unbelievers in Jesus name.

In your victory from the valleys of life, beware of enticing words of unbelievers that will make you to associate and have covenant with them. Devil has plans to cause destruction to the people of God. Christians are to watch out more when on top of the mountain in life, during the good times, enemy can strike.

On a final note my brethren, as long as we remain righteous in the valleys of life, presence of God will bring us out of every valleys and take us to desired goal according to His purpose for us. Remember Joseph, from the mountain when he used to wear coats of many colours, he found himself in the valley of death prepared by his brothers.

Genesis 37:23-24 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they strip Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;  And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

God’s presence brought him out from the valley of death to favour him  in the house of a Potiphar in Egypt.

Genesis 39:1-2 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

From being prosperous and on top of the mountain, Joseph found himself again in the valley of life, he was imprisoned for righteousness sake, when he refused to commit adultery with his master’s wife. God was also staying with Joseph in the prison.

Genesis 39:19-21(NLT) Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.

Brethren, one thing I know, any child of God in the valleys of life must have conviction of God’s presence. Otherwise, we should examine ourselves how we get into the valley, and how we relate with God in the valley. You know how Joseph finally fulfilled his dreams and divine destiny in Egypt, the valleys meant to destroy him worked out for his good because God was with him.

The Lord is God of the hills, in our good times and God of the valleys, in our bad times.

Ezekiel 37:1-5(NLT) The lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”“ O Sovereign lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the lord! This is what the Sovereign lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!

Speak God’s words to every dry situations in the valleys of life and dry bones shall rise again.

✋Maranatha