In the Valley

Life can seem to be one trial after another leaving us feeling overwhelmed. We all get that vibe every now and then. When you feel overwhelmed what do you do? It is easy to crawl back under and want to flatline, but there is a better way.  Stand up and sing praises to God in the middle of your battle before there is any manifestation of answered prayer. When we lift up our highest praise after God has done something, that is gratitude, that is a heart of thanksgiving. It is vital that we lift up our highest praise in the middle before there is an answer to our prayer. That is what it means to walk by faith. We don't even know what God is going to do, but he is going to do it. In 2 Chronicles 20, there is a situation and the Israelites are overwhelmed. There are enemies everywhere. -Ites, many, many, many -Ites that overwhelm them. When God showed up he turned their situation from overwhelmed to the Valley of Blessing. You would think that the highest praise would come from people on top of the mountain of life, not the valley. The Valley of the Shadow of Death can become the Valley of Blessings all because of praise, the highest praise to the highest King.


2 Chronicles 20:26, "On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the LORD there. It is still called the Valley of  Blessing today."




Here is what King Jehosaphat (His father was King Asa, his grandfather was King Abijam, whose mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom whose father was King David) prayed in this section of the Bible, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are the ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!”  Then he takes us as the reader of this section of the Word of God through generations in the past and how God helped them. He goes on to talk about how God befriended Abraham and helped Solomon build the temple.  He went back generations remembering God’s goodness in troubled times. It had been a while in Israelite history since King David that the Israelite Kings were following the instructions of the Lord. King Jehosaphat did. The Lord showed him great favor because of it and because of his faith.


Today may be the day you are feeling overwhelmed. You know exactly what King Jehosaphat was praying.  You see in your life -Ites on every side. Friend,  lift up your highest praise to God in worship and in prayer. He deserves it all. There is no one like Jehovah. Worship and prayer is an act of holy surrender and in that, you will see the pathway open up from being overwhelmed the Valley of Blessing!