The Affection of Affliction: how to get through the hard times. A look into Psalm 119.
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Tears and Treasures: Lessons in Life’s Interruptions, the series
How to hear God’s voice from the pit of the valley.
Part 1
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Hearing God’s Voice in the pit of the Valley
The valley is dark, lonely and difficult to navigate. Yet, all is not lost. Even in through the hardest times your life can change in beautiful ways: Hearing God’s voice in the valley.
Down into a Valley
One day you’re living your best life when something unexpected comes along and throws you down into a valley. Take heart! If you’re there, in the valley, I pray you’ll come along with me as we learn lessons in life’s interruptions.
Tears and Treasures in the valley.
Have you ever considered the characteristics of a valley? It’s much different than the mountain top, and it’s as different in the valley than it is along any path taken above it, too.
valley[ văl′ē ]
Valleys
A long, narrow region of low land between ranges of mountains, hills, or other high areas, often having a river or stream running along the bottom. Valleys are most commonly formed through the erosion of land by rivers or glaciers. They also form where large regions of land are lowered because of geological faults.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/valley
Valley: low, dark (light is hidden on each side), between the high areas, water running through the bottom, formed through erosion of time…the valley.
Join me here in the valley of life and let’s learn how we can respond faithfully when life’s interruptions land us unexpectedly and involuntarily in the valley.
REJOICE ALWAYS
What the flesh in me wants to do is first protect you. Tell you it’s ok to feel whatever you are feeling. Cry with you. Let you be angry or depressed. Like all wisdom of the world says is good, I want to validate you in your pain.
If it helps to know I understand pain in life, I sure do. If it matters that I have walked through times when I was afraid for what would come in the next breath-or how to take another breath, take it to heart because I sure have been there. You are not alone. There is hope!
Rejoicing doesn’t require balloons and streamers.
When I point you to this passage, when the Lord tells us to rejoice always, don’t be conflicted in your own circumstances and the thought of feeling joy. Rejoicing doesn’t require balloons and streamers.
Instead of risking backlash from seeming insensitive or incompassionate, neither of which is true, I want to soften the edges around your reality and God’s instruction.
Precious Lessons from God
Like most women, it’s tempting for me to rush in and pick you up in your pain–to shelter you from life’s hardships. But I it’s right there in my worst pain that I have learned the most precious lessons of God’s goodness.
I can’t take the chance that you would miss the same He has for you.
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Isaiah 40:31
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
It’s not wise to put my flesh between your pain and God’s Holy Spirit, so I will remove myself and my ill-fated wisdom in this way. And it’s ok, in fact, it’s better than ok-it’s right, and it’s good.
God can speak quietly
Because the truth is scripture can stand alone and God can speak quietly even through its strongest words. So, I pray you hear these words of His cushioned with His love.
Quiet your heart. Rest. Listen for the still, small voice of God.
I encourage you to repeat these three things to yourself when you don’t know what to believe:
- God is truth and His Word is good.
- He sees your pain.
- He wants to encourages you.
I pray you will listen to these verses and hear God whisper through your pain.
…and the Peace of God
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
…(repeat) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9
Unfathomable Peace
Maybe this passage doesn’t come up in a quick google search for comforting verses, but if not look at what we’re missing.
God’s why is God’s presence and unfathomable peace.
Peace. God’s peace.
It’s what we’re all looking for.
You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:11
The valley may seem a really strange place to find peace, but it’s where I’ve been and God’s peace is exactly what I am yearning for.
I am thankful you’re here with me as we begin this series:
Treasures in the Valley
Today, I leave you with a song God brought to me while sitting all alone on an unknown church pew in a far from home Texas town as my husband preached from the pulpit surrounded by many members hopeful we would soon accept their call to full-time pastorate.
The storm surged all around me. So many white caps of fear and crashing waves of possibility. My heart and soul were conflicted and inner chaos penetrated any surrounding quiet.
After his introduction and before he began the message God had given him to preach, a woman sang this song I’d never heard before and have never forgotten since.
I‘ll Give You Peace, Sandi Patti
Please take a couple minutes for yourself and listen to its words. Believe its message, because God will give you peace. Then, be sure to join me back here as we continue Tears and Treasures: Lessons in Life’s Interruptions, the series.
Next time: Seeking a Crown in the Pit of the Valley.
A Series: Responding faithfully to life’s interruptions
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As you begin homeschooling, with love from a veteran homeschooling mom:
- Don’t buy all the curriculum. In the beginning, maybe don’t buy any curriculum.
- Enjoy putting a dedicated room together if you’re creating one, but don’t stress about it. Homeschooling happens all over the house.
- There is GREAT value in letting young children learn by exploring, creating, playing and imagining. In fact, it’s far more advantageous to budding learners than is any kind of formal writing/read/math. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it differently, but when you hear others advise it’s too early, there is a good reason why.
- Reading aloud to your child every day is a worthwhile goal. So is, reading more.
- Set and steadfastly keep your focus on training up your child in God’s way with the bonus of academics: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt 16:26
- If you let your children out of their rooms, worry no more; socialization won’t be a problem.
- You’re the boss of the curriculum, it’s just a collection of books w/suggestions and guidelines to use (be used, tried, stopped, paused, changed…) wisely.
- No, you’re not going to mess up your children’s life and education by homeschooling them. Please don’t think a “real teacher” has any advantage over their God appointed mother/father. (Says classroom teacher of almost 20 years.)
- Yes, you’re making the best choice for your children’s education and upbringing through biblical homeschooling (just another facet of godly parenting). Go ahead and search for yourself; proof is in the scriptures. Don’t try this alone; you’ll need the Lord. Thank goodness it’s not about our own ability, but His.
- There are nearly as many ways to homeschool as children who are homeschooled. Don’t compare your child or your homeschooling to others. It’s a recipe for the pendulum of constant change in your home; enough to drive you and your children crazy.
- Speaking of crazy, one last thing here, expect some days to be hard, for children to do wrong, for life in general to have plenty of trials. That doesn’t mean you’re not suppose to be homeschooling, it means you don’t have a perfect family, either, like the rest of us. It means you are and live amongst sinners and have opportunity to allow the Lord to do a work in your own heart and the hearts of your children as you learn more about Him and learn to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might.
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For women at home
He calmed the storm to a
whisper, and the waves of the
sea were hushed.
Psalm 107:29
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hello@agirlinthemiddle.com