Springs in the Valleys

In Psalm 104.10 we read, He sent at the springs into the valleys which run among the hills. The title of my message today, friends, is Springs in the Valleys. The life experience is comprised of ups and downs, highs and lows.

An athlete can come off the best season of his career and then go into a slump that is inexplicable. We can be sailing along beneath sunny skies under pleasant circumstances and then quite suddenly out of nowhere comes an unforeseen storm that almost sinks our boat and leaves our sails torn and tattered. One day we can be in the best of health and the next lying on a hospital bed in the ICU.

Life is full of mountains and valleys, so to speak. In the spiritual life, a mountaintop experience signifies a close encounter with God, like Moses up on Mount Sinai enjoying the presence of God for 40 days. But when Moses got off the mountain and climbed down back into the valley, the glow on his face began to dim and his troubles multiplied with the stubborn Jews.

But our verse today, friends, is a special one of cheer to the hurting heart, for it is often in the valleys of our life that God does His deepest work. His promise to us through scripture today is, He sendeth springs into the valleys which run among the hills. Psalm 104 is a song of praise to the Creator of heaven and earth.

The psalmist throughout this psalm is blessing and praising God for His wonderful works in creation and nature. The psalm nears its end on a high note by stating, I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Well, there are three aspects I'd like to draw out of our text today, friends, from this remarkable text. Number one, the mountaintop versus the valley. Number two, the seasons of prosperity versus adversity.

Number three, God's nearness in the valley. Well, let's look at the first aspect in the mountaintop versus the valley. In first Kings chapter 18, we had the remarkable account of the prophet Elijah atop Mount Carmel as he wins the contest against the prophets of Baal.

But the false prophets call on their God and he does not respond because their God is an idol carved out of wood. Elijah, on the other hand, serves the living God who answers by fire and consumes the sacrifice. This mountaintop experience is soon followed by a death threat from wicked Queen Jezebel, and it isn't long we find the beleaguered prophet in a valley sitting beneath the juniper tree wishing he was dead.

Whenever we have a mountaintop experience with God, it's common for a valley to follow, but we don't have to stay in the valley forever, for if we keep our eyes on God, we will soon forget ourselves. Remember, friends, that revival begins in a dry valley, as seen in Isaiah 44.3, which states, So this principle of the mountaintop versus the valley tells us that God can meet us at either junction. The key is to stay focused upon God and wait for Him to send the springs into the valley, springs of refreshing, springs of His Spirit.

Secondly, we see the seasons of prosperity versus seasons of adversity. When everything is going our way and it seems everything we touch turns to gold, it can actually have a lessening effect on our spiritual life. For in seasons of prosperity, we tend to be more self-sufficient, more self-reliant, more self-absorbed.

But it is in adversity and the trials of life when we are cast entirely upon God for deliverance. Times of adversity are self-emptying times when we realize our need and dependence upon God. In times of desperation, when all hopes seem to be hanging on a tattered thread, that's when God can move by sending springs into our valleys, springs to strengthen our faith and build spiritual maturity.

And lastly, we see God's nearness in the valley. A God in my own life, friends, has been most near to me through the personal tragedies of my life. When nothing makes sense, you can sense Him.

He is there beside you, comforting you, encouraging you, carrying you through that valley of despair. And quite suddenly, before you know it, amidst all the pain and suffering, springs begin to appear, springs which run along the hills. For God's word is true, and He is true to His holy word.

No matter our outward circumstances, whether we are on top of the mountain or down in the valley, we can rest assured that God's providence will guide us, mold us, and make us more and more like Jesus. For He sent the springs into the valleys which run among the hills. Let us pray.