In Psalm 104.10 we read, He sent
at the springs into the valleys which run
among the hills.
The title of my message today, friends, is
Springs in the Valleys.
The life experience is comprised of ups and
downs, highs and lows.
An athlete can come off the best season
of his career and then go into a
slump that is inexplicable.
We can be sailing along beneath sunny skies
under pleasant circumstances and then quite suddenly out
of nowhere comes an unforeseen storm that almost
sinks our boat and leaves our sails torn
and tattered.
One day we can be in the best
of health and the next lying on a
hospital bed in the ICU.
Life is full of mountains and valleys, so
to speak.
In the spiritual life, a mountaintop experience signifies
a close encounter with God, like Moses up
on Mount Sinai enjoying the presence of God
for 40 days.
But when Moses got off the mountain and
climbed down back into the valley, the glow
on his face began to dim and his
troubles multiplied with the stubborn Jews.
But our verse today, friends, is a special
one of cheer to the hurting heart, for
it is often in the valleys of our
life that God does His deepest work.
His promise to us through scripture today is,
He sendeth springs into the valleys which run
among the hills.
Psalm 104 is a song of praise to
the Creator of heaven and earth.
The psalmist throughout this psalm is blessing and
praising God for His wonderful works in creation
and nature.
The psalm nears its end on a high
note by stating, I will sing unto the
Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praise to my God while
I have my being.
Well, there are three aspects I'd like to
draw out of our text today, friends, from
this remarkable text.
Number one, the mountaintop versus the valley.
Number two, the seasons of prosperity versus adversity.
Number three, God's nearness in the valley.
Well, let's look at the first aspect in
the mountaintop versus the valley.
In first Kings chapter 18, we had the
remarkable account of the prophet Elijah atop Mount
Carmel as he wins the contest against the
prophets of Baal.
But the false prophets call on their God
and he does not respond because their God
is an idol carved out of wood.
Elijah, on the other hand, serves the living
God who answers by fire and consumes the
sacrifice.
This mountaintop experience is soon followed by a
death threat from wicked Queen Jezebel, and it
isn't long we find the beleaguered prophet in
a valley sitting beneath the juniper tree wishing
he was dead.
Whenever we have a mountaintop experience with God,
it's common for a valley to follow, but
we don't have to stay in the valley
forever, for if we keep our eyes on
God, we will soon forget ourselves.
Remember, friends, that revival begins in a dry
valley, as seen in Isaiah 44.3, which
states, So this
principle of the mountaintop versus the valley tells
us that God can meet us at either
junction.
The key is to stay focused upon God
and wait for Him to send the springs
into the valley, springs of refreshing, springs of
His Spirit.
Secondly, we see the seasons of prosperity versus
seasons of adversity.
When everything is going our way and it
seems everything we touch turns to gold, it
can actually have a lessening effect on our
spiritual life.
For in seasons of prosperity, we tend to
be more self-sufficient, more self-reliant, more
self-absorbed.
But it is in adversity and the trials
of life when we are cast entirely upon
God for deliverance.
Times of adversity are self-emptying times when
we realize our need and dependence upon God.
In times of desperation, when all hopes seem
to be hanging on a tattered thread, that's
when God can move by sending springs into
our valleys, springs to strengthen our faith and
build spiritual maturity.
And lastly, we see God's nearness in the
valley.
A God in my own life, friends, has
been most near to me through the personal
tragedies of my life.
When nothing makes sense, you can sense Him.
He is there beside you, comforting you, encouraging
you, carrying you through that valley of despair.
And quite suddenly, before you know it, amidst
all the pain and suffering, springs begin to
appear, springs which run along the hills.
For God's word is true, and He is
true to His holy word.
No matter our outward circumstances, whether we are
on top of the mountain or down in
the valley, we can rest assured that God's
providence will guide us, mold us, and make
us more and more like Jesus.
For He sent the springs into the valleys
which run among the hills.
Let us pray.