Mountaintops and Valleys

I’ve learnt the true nature of God in the valleys. The mountaintops taught me His hand the valleys taught me His heart. Mountaintops can have an intoxicating feeling that can creep into religious pride, entitlement and boastfulness. That the abundance you may be experiencing from the hand of God is cause of something you did right. Mountaintops have the ability to make you fixated on what He possesses in His hand. They have the ability to make you chase what He can give you but not chase Him. They have the ability to make your praise, worship, devotion and delight performance based. Like a currency we give to applaud God for something He just gave or manipulate Him for something we still want.

But the Word promises valleys (we sometimes conveniently skim over those verses).

The danger of the mountaintops for a soul dependent on God’s hand and not anchored in the truth of God’s heart is seen in the valleys. The valleys have the ability to shame you. They make you feel like God left. Cause somehow you must have done something wrong. Valleys have the ability to cause you to look up at people on their mountaintops and despise your present position. And if the mountaintops can convince you of God’s love, the valleys can convince you of God’s forsaking.

The valleys revealed the ugly in my heart.

And my word, thank God He can love ugly. Valleys taught me to reach out for His hand again. Not for what He possesses within it but for His nearness, communion and friendship.

The valleys taught me to trace out the lines on His hand. Lines that spelled out His love to this blind and weary heart.

It’s never what He has to give me that reveals His love for me or my worth. It’s always about who He is, the same God in the mountain and valley, and result, who I am. The one He loves.

Nothing and no one can separate us from His love for us. Neither mountaintop nor valley.

It doesn’t mean we will reside in perpetual valleys. It just means that next time we’re on the mountain, we’ll recognize both His hand and heart. Even when it feels like He’s withheld His hand, we are anchored in the fact He never withheld His heart.