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Psalm 34:¹⁹ “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.” (NRSV).

God wants us to remember even in the valley, that The Reward Will Last Forever! Remember God Has a Good Purpose Even For The Valley! And Remember that You Are Not Alone! God wants us to remember that regardless of the valleys we go through, we are never alone. I am not alone. You are not alone. We are not alone and that is so beautiful. Psalm 23:⁴ “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (ESV, emphasis added). Shadows are dark and scary, and shadows tend to stick around. But shadows also appear sometimes larger than the real thing. But shadows cannot hurt anybody.

We have all seen the shadows of big trucks, right? When you are standing at the bus stop, and the shadow of the bus goes over your body, does it hurt? Shadows cannot hurt anybody. Above all, a shadow is an evidence that there is light. So, if you see a shadow, it means that there is a source of light. There cannot be a shadow without a source of light. So “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”, means there is a source of light. So how do you deal with shadows? You deal with shadows by backing the shadow and facing the light. You turn your back to the shadow and turn to face the light. That is how you eradicate and eliminate the influence and the strength of shadows in your life.

Back shadows, back things that have made the problem look bigger than it is. Sometimes, we need to shut down the news channels. We need to back all the social media posts that are going around confusing people. Back the shadow and face the light. And Jesus is the light of the world. So back the shadows and face Jesus. Until we get to heaven, there will be valleys. Everyone – believer or unbeliever, will have to experience valleys. But what is the difference? Psalm 73:²⁸ “But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter…” (NET). This is a huge difference. As for me, you and everyone reading this right now, God’s presence is all we need, and God will be our shelter.

Joel 3:¹⁴ “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” (NIV, emphasis added). This is a major valley that everyone must go through. Before you were born, God already ordained that you will be reading this today. You are in the valley of decision and God has a plan for you. This is your moment of decision.

Prayer (song): You’re all I want. You’re all I’ve ever needed. You’re all I want. Help me know You are near. Amen!