Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ~Hebrews 13:15 NKJV
I’m not exactly sure how as Christians, we ever got it in our minds that our lives would be so convenient and trouble-free. The Word of God teaches us the complete opposite of this: John 16:33 says “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” However, we should not be discouraged because Jesus clearly told us that in Him, we would have peace and also reassured us He had already overcome the world.
We go through seasons in our lives. There are times where things tend to go a little smoother and then there are times where we may see difficulty around every corner. We have what we may call our “mountaintop” times…times where things are great, we get that promotion, we get the raise, we get the house, etc. But then there are times when things aren’t so great…the what we can call “valley” times. The low and even sometimes very dark times. Times where we may lose the job, lose the house or get a bad report.
This is the definition of valley according to Merriam-Webster 1. a. an elongate depression of the earth’s surface usually between ranges of hills or mountains. 2. a low point or condition; 3. hollow, depression. Now, isn’t that interesting? A valley is considered a depression. Most of us understand the word “depressed”. That word is generally equated with sadness, discouragement and even hopelessness. This is certainly where we can end up if we do not learn how to walk through our “valley” seasons with the Lord and the truth of God’s Word.
In these valley seasons our flesh will want to isolate and retreat inward. This is the very LAST thing we should do. We have to dig deep and fight against that feeling. Our feelings (emotions) are very fickle. We can not rely on them. We must rely on the Truth…the very thing we know that does not change…THE WORD OF GOD!
We have a very powerful weapon at our disposal. The weapon of PRAISE! And one of the things I have learned in my life about praise is that it is the most powerful when you release it in the midst of the most difficult times in your life. We cannot wait until our circumstances are good to praise God. God deserves our praise at ALL TIMES. But it is a choice. We have to do it by faith, because we most certainly will not feel like it, and that is kind of the point. Even though our circumstances may not change I can assure you from personal experience that something IN YOU will change. God is always faithful and His Word is clear, “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
I want to encourage you to dig into the Truths of God’s Word. Do not wait until you are in the “valley” seasons of life to see what God’s Word says. Get the Word in you now, because difficult times will come and when that pressure comes, what is in you will come out-good or bad. We want to make sure what comes out is the Word of God, for us, as well as for those around us who will need it too!
Be encouraged by these Truths:
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. — Psalm 34:1
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Ephesians 5:20
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! — 1 Chronicles 16:8
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. — James 5:13
He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. — Deuteronomy 10:21
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. — Psalm 100:4
I also recommend having a good fight song. If you do not have one, I have included the link to one that I love. Fight on warrior!
Pursuing His Promises 