MOUNTAIN TOPS AND VALLEYS 
 
    Tauren Wells, a Christian singer had a song out in 2017 called “Hills and Valleys.” It went a bit too fast for me to make out any of the words, but I want to reflect on what came to my mind as I saw the Title of this piece. It is a contemporary Christian song with roots thousands of years old, I thought, even though I don’t know the song. Valleys…….possibly, those low times, sad times, hurting times. It’s nothing new. Valleys in a person’s, or community, or nation’s life have been going on since Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve had God to talk to face to face and the entire Garden of Eden to choose from to eat the fruit of the trees. They were basically on the mountain top. They could eat from any of the trees-except one. From one, they were forbidden. But we all know what transpired. The Serpent convinced Eve that the forbidden fruit ate from the forbidden tree—the first sin, which led to valleys in life. No more face to face with God. Banished from the Garden...hard work and pain, and one of Adam’s and Eve’s sons murdering his brother. Mountain Tops and Valleys.
     In my Devotional Bible, a background true story, is told of a six week old baby that caught a cold and her eyes became inflamed. A man posing as a doctor treated her with the wrong medicine and the baby girl was blinded This took place in 1880. But as the baby grew older, she was not content to stay in the Valley. She memorized the books of the Old Testament and most of the New Testament by the time she was 10 years old. She became a poet and a teacher, but realized something was missing from her life. She accepted Jesus as her Saviour at age 30. A lot of her poetry turned into hymns of praises. Fanny Crosby was led from the Valley to the Mountain Top. Her songs speak of how she loved God, and how He worked in her life, even when she couldn’t see. (“Tell Me the Story of Jesus”, “To God Be the Glory” and “Blessed Assurance” are just an example of the many praises she has written.)
     Then there was Joseph, which you can read about starting in Genesis 37. (I left a lot of the story out but you can read it again for yourself. Joseph was betrayed and sold by his jealous brother. He ended up in Egypt. The Lord was with him in everything he did. He helped the entire Kingdom when a very severe famine hit, which Joseph predicted would happen based on Pharoah’s dream, and which God told Joseph what it meant. God was with Joseph throughout the meeting with his brother and the eventual death of his father. Joseph started with a valley life and ended with a mountain top life.
     Possibly you are going through a valley situation right now. Reach out to the Lord. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7. There is nothing so difficult for God that you can’t give it to Him! Your mountain might not look exactly like what you planned when you got there, but keep praying, day and night. God will answer you in a way that He deems best for you, even if it doesn’t look like what you figured—it will be God’s best for you He knows what’s good for you!! Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ” Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say again, Rejoice!" Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ “Jesus.
 
From Wendy’s Rocker