The valley and the goodness of God
It's easy to say that God is good when a prayer is answered, when a door opens, or when we receive what we so desired. But what about when the answer is “no”? What about when the job doesn't come, the child doesn't arrive, the marriage doesn't happen, the trip is canceled, or the dream seems increasingly distant?
What if the valley is also God's goodness? Does God continue to be good to you when He doesn't give you what you ask for so much? True faith is not built only on what we receive from God, but on who He is. God is God on the mountain and also in the valley.
He remains good
"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the olive crop may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)
Habakkuk describes a scenario of losses. There is no harvest, food, or security. Everything that could represent stability has disappeared. Still, he declares that he will continue to rejoice in God. This does not mean that the pain ceased to exist, but that God continued to be sufficient even when circumstances were not.
There is a faith that loves God for what He can give and there is a faith that loves God for who He is. The first can crumble when the answer is delayed; it is not the faith God speaks of so much. The second learns to remain even when it does not understand. When God does not grant what we desire, we are confronted with a profound question: do I love the Lord or do I only love what I expect to receive from Him?
God is good when prayer is answered and also when the answer is different from what we expected. He continues to be God when we are celebrating an achievement and when we are surviving a frustration. His goodness does not depend on the ease of the path.
Know the Promiser
"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth."
Hosea 6:3 (NIV)
Often, we are so focused on the promise that we forget to know the One who promised. We await the job, the relationship, the child, the healing, the trip, the fulfillment of a dream, or the change of a circumstance. But, in the midst of waiting, God wants to lead us to something deeper: the importance of knowing Him.
A fulfilled promise can change our circumstance, but knowing God transforms who we are within it. If our faith depends exclusively on receiving what we desire, we will always be vulnerable to life's changes. But when our hope is firmly placed in God Himself, we can go through periods of uncertainty without losing our footing.
Perhaps you have been waiting for something for a long time. Perhaps you have prayed for a door that remains closed. Perhaps there is a dream that God has not yet fulfilled (or may never fulfill in the way you imagined). This can be painful when we do not focus our gaze on Him. Even in this place, a question remains: will you continue walking with Him? Because more important than reaching the place you desire is not losing God's presence as you walk.
Honor and sustenance
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
The valley is not a sign that God has abandoned you. David did not say he would never go through the valley. He said he would not be afraid because God would be with him. The Lord's presence is not promised only for moments of victory, but also for dark, confusing, and painful places.
In conquest, God can honor us, but in the valley, He preserves us. On the mountain, we can see further. In the valley, we learn to depend. The valley takes away our illusion of control and teaches us to trust God when we cannot see the next step. Often, it is in this place that our faith ceases to be mere discourse and becomes a real experience of dependence.
Remain firm in God, even if He gives you nothing of what you are asking for. Because, in Christ, He has already given you everything. The greatest gift is not a specific promise fulfilled, but the presence of God Himself. It is not only the moment of laughter and conquest that belongs to the Lord. Loss, frustration, and silence can also be under His care.
God is God in the valley and on the mountain. He is worthy when the door opens and when it remains closed. He is worthy when we receive and when we need to give. Therefore, do not build your faith only on what you expect God to do. Know who He is. Love Him above your dream. Walk with Him even when the path is not what you imagined.
Because, in the end, the greatest security is not in knowing that God will give us everything we want, but in knowing that, having God, we will never lack.
by
Rapha Abreu
