The God of the Hills and Valleys

 

Whenever I travel by air, I love to sit by the window because I love looking at the view from the top. From that view I see huge mountains and valleys. A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. A valley is a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it. A plain is a flat, sweeping landmass that generally does not change much in elevation(Wikipedia). The view of the hills, valley and plain is what fascinates me, I’m sure it would be boring if it was just plains, or just hills or just valleys. God designed our lives the same way, God’s plan and purpose for our lives involves both hills and valleys, the promise land was also a land of hills and valleys (Deut 11:11).

Hills can be used interchangeably as mountains in the bible. Mountains and hills are mentioned so many times in the bible because a lot of incredible things happen on the hills or mountain. For example, the sermon on the mount, the transfiguration, Jesus’ temptation, the book of the law that was given to Moses, God reveals himself to Abraham. A lot of special things happen on the hills or mountain, hill top experiences bring us closer to God, being in that place where we are alone with God and we receive fresh revelation, when we are on the hill we have unhindered view in all direction, we can see clearly and hear God clearly. Hill top experiences can also be times when we are on top of the world, we are doing extremely well, and winning on all sides. Hill top experiences also represent events in our lives that launches into God’s plan for our lives.

God is not only the God of the hill or mountain, he is the God of the valley too. The valley experience is nothing like the hill experience, sometimes it’s difficult to believe that God is with us when we are in the valley because unlike the hill top where God is giving us direction, in the valley it feels like we are alone and God is silent. On the mountain where we are doing extremely well and feeling on top of the world, the valley doesn’t feel that way its dark and bleak. We go through different types of valley experiences such as financial valleys, marital valleys, psychological valleys, emotional valleys, relational valleys etc. these experiences break us, but there is something that is produced in us in the valley that cannot be produced on the hill. In the valley we experience the fellowship of Jesus’s suffering. Paul said ‘that I may know him and the fellowship of His suffering’ (Phil 3:10) We cannot really have a deep walk with God except we know the fellowship of His suffering, because God is more interested in working on the inside of us and it is our valley experiences that changes us on the inside and  produces character in us. (Romans 5:3-5)

As believers how should we handle our hill and valley experiences? When we are on the hill we must be humble, remembering that we are there to give God the Glory alone, we must remember that it is our character that will keep us there and we are there to be a blessing too. When we are in the valley, we must be steadfast knowing that we are not alone and that God is with us, and we must keep our eyes focused on God alone

Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death I shall fear no evil. (Psalm 23:4) Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:19). We must always remember that no matter how dark it gets in the valley God is always with us, we are never alone and he will deliver us. God has a good purpose for our valleys, our valleys are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory (1 Corinthians 4:17). We should thank God for our valleys for without them we cannot be who God truly desires us to be.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43: 2). We all must go through the valley at some point, that is the way God designed it, the only difference between us believers and unbelievers will be how we come out of it, the valley is supposed to build us up and put character in us that will help us on the hill top, even Jesus had to go through the valley before he was glorified in heaven. Don’t waste your valley, let it work something in you and through you, because you will surely need it for the hill.