Ecclesiastes 7:3
“Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”
People oftentimes bemoan the valley and wish that they could live on the mountaintops. On the other hand, God says that “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” Without sadness, the heart could not be made better. God goes further in the next verse and says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” In other words, it is in the valley where you will find the wisdom to make life better.
While some may choose the mountaintop, I choose the valley for many
reasons. Flowers grow in the valley. You don't see the beauty of the
flower on the mountaintop, but you see it in the valley. It is in the
valley where you will find the calming streams. It is in the valley
where you see the green grass grow and hear the birds chirping amongst
the flowers. It is in the valley where you can fish in the lakes,
streams and rivers. It is in the valley where the soul is restored. Yes,
the mountaintop allows you to step out of reality for a short time and
look at life from a different perspective, but it is in the valley where
you will find the presence of God. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” Yes, it’s in the valley where you find God walking by your side.
Christian, it is time you stop bemoaning the valleys that God sends
you through and realize that the valleys are where you grow. There are
many times in the valley that God reveals to me something that I never
knew about myself, something that I didn't like about myself that needed
to be changed. I would have never learned this without the valley.
Instead of bemoaning your valley, you need to learn what God is trying
to teach you there.
Moreover, enjoy the presence of God while you are in the valley.
Certainly, God is with us when we are on the mountaintops, but He
specifically reminds us that He is with us in the valley. If you would
stop complaining about your valley, you might see that God’s presence is
right beside you. Even though the psalmist was walking through the
valley, he realized that God’s presence was there to help him face what
his valley brought. If you look back at every trial you have ever faced,
you will always see the presence of God was always there. That same
presence is with you today in whatever valley you face.
Furthermore, it is in the valley where you will find joy and growth. The verse above says, “…for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”
You would never have times of laughter and joy without going through
the valley. The peak of one’s joy shows me the depth of the valley they
have endured. The most joyful people of life are the people who have
suffered the most. So you are walking through a valley today, and your
valley seems to be the deepest valley that a person has ever walked
through; let me encourage you to realize that God is trying to increase
your joy if you will stop running from your valley. You can choose to
live in the valley and grow, or you can miss the blessings of the valley
by complaining. It is your choice. What are you going to do?