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News From the Valley
10/28/2007 11:34 PM
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Hello everyone. I almost let my favorite month run by without a post, didn't I? How tragic that would have been, huh?
Well, there's been a lot going on in my life recently. In the past four weeks, God's blessed me mightily, and given me a taste of the dream he placed in my heart when I was very little. He's been working in me and in my life. He's been speaking to me clearly, and giving me new illumination that I hope is life-changing to those around me. Things in my personal life with my love interest was going fabulously also. Our relationship went to new levels and I saw something I had never before seen from her: she tried. She really gave it her all, and ended up missing out on some other important things in the mean time, unfortunately. So for now, I believe that is on hold until things are more calm in her life...
About a week ago, I was told though, that the devil would challenge my faith, and I can tell you that I stand in the valley of challenge even at this very moment. The waves in life started crashing and being violent... some things starting seeming like they were falling apart... and even my dreams turned against me -- I am awake at this moment because I had a bad one that caused me to wake up. lol. But God's for me... who can be against me? The Giver of all good things gives me victory. How can I, then, know defeat?
Sometimes I think God gives us a taste of our dreams to keep us going... to remind us what we're fighting for. Because He, being God, knows there's a valley ahead that we must go through in order to stand on the mountain of the manifestation of our dreams. But I think He also knows if we knew of the valley, and had not the glimpse of the mountain of our destination, we wouldn't go. Some of us wish so often that we don't have to travel through the valley... that there would be a teleportation device that would just zip us from where we are today, to where God (and ourselves) desire us to be. But it doesn't work quite like that, does it? Why? Because God desires to raise warriors. And because God longs for us to find the Lilly.
Look at the callouses on your hands. Do you know why they are there? They are there because your hands have been used to do work. Some more physical labor than others -- the point remains the same. Your hands have callouses according to the work that you perform with them. They were at one time hurt... they blistered. But a callous formed in that place. And now, if you were to perform similar work again... it wouldn't hurt so bad -- if it even hurt at all. Because God thickened your skin in that area.
God wills for His people to be a calloused people -- calloused to the world... calloused to the fiery darts of the Devil... calloused to the waves of life that toss us and turn us around the guise of whatever lies we're promised. He wants us to be strong warriors, always able to submit compassionately to the call and cause of our King... but ever ready to take down the gates of hell at but a moment's notice. Soft and pliable to His Spirit, we are to be. But hardened and waiting for an opportunity to overturn His enemy at every point of bondage or attack. So God longs for you to be a warrior -- this being part of the purpose for the valley.
But then there's another reason for the valley. Though difficult and hard... though brutal, and raging... there is something the valley offers us that scarcely appears anywhere else... Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, The Lilly of the Valley, the Fairest of Ten Thousand... our Lord, our Savior... Jesus the Christ. There He lies.... ready.... waiting.... for you... and for me.... in the depths of the valley. The Bible called Him the Lilly of the Valley. There are things that we find in the valley's of our lives... that we would not ever have without them. We become people in our valley's that we would never be without them. In our valleys, character is made. And in His glory, character is displayed. And the anointing of the Lord is a glorious thing. Allow me a moment to reflect a sentiment told by my Pastor... "The anointing will take you, where your character cannot keep you." Without the valley, you would never find the Lilly. And without the lilly, your stay on the destination mountain of the manifestation of the fullness of the promise of God in your life, would be short lived.
Let's face it. If life were a flat plane and there were no ups and there were no downs... how boring life would be. What a drag! Valley's... mountains... they keep life interesting... and they give it value. Mountains help life be valuable in your eyes. You are blessed there. You shine there. You are joyful and you are happy there. They make life worth it, to you. But the valley's... they make your life worth it to God. There He can remake you. There He can touch you. There, you call on Him. There, you seek Him. There, you worship Him. And THERE... you become... more... like... Him.
So let me suggest to you, and as a gesture of faith in my own advice, allow me to join you, in giving God glory and thanking Him for the valley. Thank you for the valley, Lord. Thank you for delivering us from this place, heavenly Father. Thank you for Jesus' blood... Our deliverer... our redeemer... He was wounded for our transgressions... bruised for our iniquities... The chastisement of our peace was upon Him... and by His stripes, we are healed. Thank you for bringing us out. Thank you for the blessings and the joys that tomorrow holds. Thank you for giving us Victory. Thank you for letting our enemies see no joy but whatever they can find in absolute and utter defeat. Thank you for fulfilling our hearts desire. Thank you for your promise. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for your protection, and your compassion. Forgive us, Lord. Heal us, Lord. Strengthen us, Lord... and give us a new measure of faith. Let the name of the Lord be magnified here... let the rocks of this place... of THIS valley.. sing Your praise. Thank you, Father, for the valley.
After all... isn't it the valleys that make the mountains seem so high? Isn't it my presence here that will cause me to appreciate where You're taking me? Let it be so. Let your name be glorified on my tongue. Bless the name of the Lord God forever. And may His name be forever praised.
Let your mercy endure here. Let your peace and your healing endure here. Let your blessing overtake here. Let your grace flow freely here. Let your power be seen here. And let your name be exalted above any other... here. Forgive us. Change us. Keep us. Strengthen us. Break us. Make us Holy. We trust you with our hearts. We trust you with our lives. You are the Lord God. You are our deliverer. You are our healer. You are our lover. And we give you all.
Bless the name of the Lord God forever. May His name be forever praised.
Hello everyone. I almost let my favorite month run by without a post, didn't I? How tragic that would have been, huh?
Well, there's been a lot going on in my life recently. In the past four weeks, God's blessed me mightily, and given me a taste of the dream he placed in my heart when I was very little. He's been working in me and in my life. He's been speaking to me clearly, and giving me new illumination that I hope is life-changing to those around me. Things in my personal life with my love interest was going fabulously also. Our relationship went to new levels and I saw something I had never before seen from her: she tried. She really gave it her all, and ended up missing out on some other important things in the mean time, unfortunately. So for now, I believe that is on hold until things are more calm in her life...
About a week ago, I was told though, that the devil would challenge my faith, and I can tell you that I stand in the valley of challenge even at this very moment. The waves in life started crashing and being violent... some things starting seeming like they were falling apart... and even my dreams turned against me -- I am awake at this moment because I had a bad one that caused me to wake up. lol. But God's for me... who can be against me? The Giver of all good things gives me victory. How can I, then, know defeat?
Sometimes I think God gives us a taste of our dreams to keep us going... to remind us what we're fighting for. Because He, being God, knows there's a valley ahead that we must go through in order to stand on the mountain of the manifestation of our dreams. But I think He also knows if we knew of the valley, and had not the glimpse of the mountain of our destination, we wouldn't go. Some of us wish so often that we don't have to travel through the valley... that there would be a teleportation device that would just zip us from where we are today, to where God (and ourselves) desire us to be. But it doesn't work quite like that, does it? Why? Because God desires to raise warriors. And because God longs for us to find the Lilly.
Look at the callouses on your hands. Do you know why they are there? They are there because your hands have been used to do work. Some more physical labor than others -- the point remains the same. Your hands have callouses according to the work that you perform with them. They were at one time hurt... they blistered. But a callous formed in that place. And now, if you were to perform similar work again... it wouldn't hurt so bad -- if it even hurt at all. Because God thickened your skin in that area.
God wills for His people to be a calloused people -- calloused to the world... calloused to the fiery darts of the Devil... calloused to the waves of life that toss us and turn us around the guise of whatever lies we're promised. He wants us to be strong warriors, always able to submit compassionately to the call and cause of our King... but ever ready to take down the gates of hell at but a moment's notice. Soft and pliable to His Spirit, we are to be. But hardened and waiting for an opportunity to overturn His enemy at every point of bondage or attack. So God longs for you to be a warrior -- this being part of the purpose for the valley.
But then there's another reason for the valley. Though difficult and hard... though brutal, and raging... there is something the valley offers us that scarcely appears anywhere else... Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, The Lilly of the Valley, the Fairest of Ten Thousand... our Lord, our Savior... Jesus the Christ. There He lies.... ready.... waiting.... for you... and for me.... in the depths of the valley. The Bible called Him the Lilly of the Valley. There are things that we find in the valley's of our lives... that we would not ever have without them. We become people in our valley's that we would never be without them. In our valleys, character is made. And in His glory, character is displayed. And the anointing of the Lord is a glorious thing. Allow me a moment to reflect a sentiment told by my Pastor... "The anointing will take you, where your character cannot keep you." Without the valley, you would never find the Lilly. And without the lilly, your stay on the destination mountain of the manifestation of the fullness of the promise of God in your life, would be short lived.
Let's face it. If life were a flat plane and there were no ups and there were no downs... how boring life would be. What a drag! Valley's... mountains... they keep life interesting... and they give it value. Mountains help life be valuable in your eyes. You are blessed there. You shine there. You are joyful and you are happy there. They make life worth it, to you. But the valley's... they make your life worth it to God. There He can remake you. There He can touch you. There, you call on Him. There, you seek Him. There, you worship Him. And THERE... you become... more... like... Him.
So let me suggest to you, and as a gesture of faith in my own advice, allow me to join you, in giving God glory and thanking Him for the valley. Thank you for the valley, Lord. Thank you for delivering us from this place, heavenly Father. Thank you for Jesus' blood... Our deliverer... our redeemer... He was wounded for our transgressions... bruised for our iniquities... The chastisement of our peace was upon Him... and by His stripes, we are healed. Thank you for bringing us out. Thank you for the blessings and the joys that tomorrow holds. Thank you for giving us Victory. Thank you for letting our enemies see no joy but whatever they can find in absolute and utter defeat. Thank you for fulfilling our hearts desire. Thank you for your promise. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for your protection, and your compassion. Forgive us, Lord. Heal us, Lord. Strengthen us, Lord... and give us a new measure of faith. Let the name of the Lord be magnified here... let the rocks of this place... of THIS valley.. sing Your praise. Thank you, Father, for the valley.
After all... isn't it the valleys that make the mountains seem so high? Isn't it my presence here that will cause me to appreciate where You're taking me? Let it be so. Let your name be glorified on my tongue. Bless the name of the Lord God forever. And may His name be forever praised.
Let your mercy endure here. Let your peace and your healing endure here. Let your blessing overtake here. Let your grace flow freely here. Let your power be seen here. And let your name be exalted above any other... here. Forgive us. Change us. Keep us. Strengthen us. Break us. Make us Holy. We trust you with our hearts. We trust you with our lives. You are the Lord God. You are our deliverer. You are our healer. You are our lover. And we give you all.
Bless the name of the Lord God forever. May His name be forever praised.
Jay Baldwin is a follower of Jesus Christ residing in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and daughter. Jay is an Executive Director and Software Engineer (Web Ninja!), a self-proclaimed scriptural scholar, and a pilot. He's also an avid gamer, loves tennis, and has a black belt in Korean martial art Tang Soo Do.
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Jay Baldwin