The Valley of Fruitfulness, Part 1

I have been  very busy these days and unable to set down and write. My focus has been on church,prayer,co-hosting a grief-share group and spending time with God as well as remodeling a kitchen. The fall weather is welcoming and I am as I know some of you are enjoying it immensely. Thank you Jesus for the seasons. We can all have what we want in the way of weather.

I do want to  make sure and encourage all of my readers to stay the course with God and for those seeking him or maybe your hearts are being stirred and your curious about a relationship with Jesus to go ahead and yield to that prompting in your heart. Ask the Lord to come into your life and be Lord over your life. The Holy Spirit will lead you along the journey of life. Should you have questions about following Jesus just ask me and I will be glad and try to answer them for you.

I will also pray for you if you leave a prayer request. Jesus and I both care about you and whatever you are dealing with or have on your heart. You will find below an excerpt from a recent book of Pastor Francis Frangipane. He is a precious man of God to whom my family and I have followed for years . I hope you are encouraged by his brief story.

Much Love Tom

The Valley of Fruitfulness, Part 1
(En Español)

The battles we face are often intense times of weakness, distress and confusion. If the events of our lives were charted, these would be the lowest points. Yet God is no less with us during difficulties than at other times. In fact, these valleys are often as much the plan of God as our mountaintop experiences.

There is a story in the Bible that speaks plainly to this truth. Israel had recently defeated the Arameans in a mountain battle. In 1 Kings, chapter 20, we read:

“Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, ‘Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.’ Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, ‘Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they'” (1 Kings 20:22-23).

The enemy said that the God of Israel was a god of the mountains, but if they fought the Jews in the valleys they would defeat them. We read in verse 28:

“Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Because the Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,’ therefore, I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord”‘” (1 Kings 20:28).

No matter what the enemy tries to tell you, Christ is God of the mountains and He is God of the valleys. He has not stopped being God because you happen to be in a valley. He is the God of glory as seen in His power and miracles. In the valleys He reveals Himself as faithful, loyally committed to us in our difficulties and distresses. In and through all things He is our God.

When we are on the “mountaintops” of our Christian experience, we can see our future clearly. We have perspective and confidence. When we are in one of life’s valleys, however, our vision is limited and our future seems hidden. Yet valleys are also the most fertile places on earth. Valleys produce fruitfulness. You can expect there to be a harvest of virtue when God dwells with you in the valleys of life.

The preceding excerpt is adapted from the book The Shelter of the Most High by Pastor Frangipane. This book with associated audio resources are currently on sale at www.arrowbookstore.com.