Tough valley? What are you saying?

As I was reading Ezekiel chapter 37 on a Saturday morning God dropped this in my spirit “what are you speaking in your valley”? 

Psalm 23:4 says

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and your staff they comfort me.”

A valley- is a season or period of time where you feel alone (even though you are not) in your suffering or trial into it... whether physically or mentally. It is a time that is very difficult and extremely hard to work through, it is a silent season, it’s not death, but it can feel just as difficult emotionally to deal with.

Natural valley- an area of low land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it.

Valley fact: When the water flows from a mountain, the steeper it is the faster the water flows , and the deeper the valley it is that is created.

I have been going through a valley season which for me has been very challenging, as the Lord has been directing me into a different and new dimension in my life, at times when God give us the promise and direction to steer us into His will and purpose for our lives we sometimes get too excited and quickly haste to give birth to the promise, we casually go into it without taking it to Him through prayer and supplication asking for wisdom, guidance and understanding or rather too impatient to wait for His answer. I believe it is in the valley that we need to sit at His feet, allow His word to wash us  Many times, when God says this is “what I am going to do” we think it is just going to come easy and that’s what I thought too many times in my walk with God. Serving God will cost you everything my darling and you need to be willing to let go of everything in order grow, need to be willing to lay down your life daily, to submit to Him in everything you say and do, to take up your cross and follow Him daily, to let go of the old wine skins (mindsets) in order to embrace the new in a new season because you cannot pour new wine into old wine-skins (mindsets).

Growth takes places in the valley too because there is water, and water can sustain us which represents the WORD of God. 

I believe it is in the valley that we are challenged to get quiet to hear Him like never before, to press into His presence like never before. This is a season to cultivate our spirit, to spend time with God, grow and rest in Him. 

Ezekiel 37:1-6 (nkjv)

“The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed, they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So, I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’

God sat Ezekiel down in the midst of the valley and asked him if those dry bones could live, Ezekiel gave a skeptical answer “O Lord God, you know” he too was not so sure if they could live especially as he could physically see how extremely dry it was. God reminded me that I do not have to continue to fight for victory in my own strength but that I should be fighting from victory won at the cross for me 2000 years ago, with His spirit at work in me, more often I would try and do things in my own wisdom and strength and get frustrated when things don't work out (bhaha) can you relate?  And it is in times like this that He reminds me to know Him in all of my ways, because He is my Father, and then awesomely reminds me of the power we as His Sons truly do possess through the blood of the lamb, power to speak to dead situations, power to break every chain, to speak healing, power to uproot mountains etc. The enemy has blinded us so much so that we cannot fully grasp what Christ did on the Cross for us, He says in:

Mark 10:19

 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you”

I allowed myself to be distracted, my focus was more on what my natural environment dictated to me than what God said I was more frustrated than prayerful.  As I was meditating on Ezekiel 37 on that specific Saturday morning spending time in His word the Holy spirit ministered to me and reminded me of the power given to me, reminded me how I didn’t speak life to the dry bones in my valley, I murmured, complaint, I felt tired (emotionally, physically spiritually and mentally) and felt like running away from what God has purposed for me (like Jonah did) and that’s all the more reason why I didn’t see any fruit or progress during this season in my life. You see barrenness sets in if and when we murmur, and complain, by not cultivating our spirit in Him, spend time at His feet and in His word we will not see any fruit. The enemy is after you because of what's inside of you, when he cannot destroy you, his job is to distract you from your purpose and everything else. The best thing about the Lord speaking He tells us the truth about ourselves yet still loves and pursues us relentlessly with all our mistakes etc. He is such an intentional and faithful God truly He is, He keeps reminding me of His great power at work in me and how I can authoritatively use it to speak life in every area of my life, to speak what I desire to manifest (and it will be so). I was more focused on how I felt and not on what His word said about me, my life and circumstances etc. We are the music we listen to, the movies and series we watch, we are the company we keep. It is very important to discern what seeds we sow and doors we open up in every season we transition into. Guard your heart above all else? What seeds are you sowing in your life and that of others? Are you running to the Lord in prayer or are you running to people?

Ephesians 3:20 (NCV)

20 “With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.”

You will not understand every part of the journey that's why the Holy Spirit has to be your most trusted advisor while faith serves as your mode of transportation. Don’t be too hard on yourself? Don't park there? Move on and continue to press on towards the mark of the high calling? Praise Him in your valley? Worship Him? Give Him all the glory and honor regardless of what it looks like it is never easy but so much more worth it God promised to never bring us this far to leave nor forsake us, He can't because He lives inside of us. Remember your purpose is not about you but it's about what God wants to do through you. It is normal to go through a valley season, when seasons change trees shed leaves to prepare for the next season in fact we will go through different seasons continually these seasons are needed to equip, prune, purge, purify and mold us into vessels He desires us to be for His glory in and out of season. 

This season is teaching me to:

1.Speak life in every area of my life and those around me daily.

2.My feelings are never constant, to have an attitude of PRAISE!

3.To stay rooted and build up in God and scar my mind with His word continually.

4.To press into the Lord daily and cast down every care unto Him

5.To seek more of His kingdom, and pursue His desires, His will and purpose for my life.

6.To surround myself with like-minded believers, to fellowship together by the breaking of bread (word of God) and giving myself fully as unto the Lord to build others up, pray for them and encourage them in the Lord.

7.To love and give myself fully through serving without expecting anything in return. 

I’ve learned that when I don't pull aside for the Lord in this fast-paced life, I eventually end up running on fumes or depending on myself and get extremely overwhelmed! I don't believe that it's the will of our Father to be so distracted, exhausted and busy that we no longer spend time with the Lord. Saying "yes" to everyone and everything can very easily clutter your Spirit man. AND, it's NOT worth it! Are you going through a valley season right now? Could be in your marriage, loss of a loved one,  in your career, your family etc. Do you feel tired and overwhelmed? I encourage you to make time for the Lord, run to Him? Vent your heart and frustrations out before Him? Spending time with the Lord gives us perspective, it refuels us and gives us hope.

Stay rooted and build up in Him saints, stand firm on the promises of God and let your mouth always be filled with praises? He who is in us is greater than He that is in the world we are fighting from VICTORY! 

In His love
Ndeshi Jameson

In Pretoria, South Africa on holiday recently (December 2016)