We’ll all have to walk through valleys in our lives. These are times when things seem hard and we face struggles. Some of these valleys will last a short while, others can last for so long that we wonder if we’ll ever make it to the other side. When we’re in the valley, we might experience emotions such as sadness, discouragement, and anger. It’s okay for us to grieve, cry, and express our emotions. We don’t have to pretend that everything is fine, especially not to God. In fact, the Bible tells us that God’s with us in the valley, so He knows exactly what we’re going through and what we’re feeling. The psalmist said: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me’ (Psalm 23:4 NIV). It can be tempting to give up when we’ve been in the valley for a long time. But we will walk out of the valley and experience God’s goodness again. The Bible says, ‘When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs…They will continue to grow stronger’ (Psalm 84:6-7 NLT). In this verse, ‘they’ is referring to people whose strength is in God. So if we’re trusting in God, we can know that our valley will become a place of refreshment. And we’ll grow stronger because of our time in the valley. The valley’s teaches us to rely on God and trust in Him. God says that He ‘will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope’ (Hosea 2:15 NIV). Achor means trouble. While we might have to walk through a valley of trouble for a while, God can use it to bring us into a place of hope. 

What Now?

If you’re in a valley right now, take some time to be honest with God. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Then thank Him for always bringing you back to a place of hope.