What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings (‭Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭5-6‬ NLT). Wait just a minute! Valley of weeping? No thank you. That sounds tough. These are people whose strength comes from the Lord. These are His dedicated followers. This passage doesn’t imply if they go through but when they walk through. Yes and yes. If you belong to God, He will walk you through a valley of weeping. But The Word says we’ll go through. We will not stay there. And times of refreshing will come. This is just the place to build true intimacy and trust with The One who purchased you with such a high price. 

When we think of hard times, often we think of punishment. Why is this happening to me? We usually don’t ask “what’s in this for me?” It’s more like “what did I do or didn’t do to deserve this?” The answer is absolutely nothing on either counts. If you belong to Jesus, you have to understand that He’s the pilot! We’re just fortunate enough to be on the plane. What looks in the natural to be a setback is really a set up for you to move into your destiny. So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt (‭Genesis‬ ‭37‬:‭28‬ NLT). Joseph went through some serious tough times. His brothers betrayed him. He was taken away from his father who loved him so much. He was lied about. He was put in prison etc. But in the end, God’s plan for Joseph prevailed! Nothing could stop what God had planned for him (I encourage you to read the whole story). But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people (‭Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭19-20‬ NLT). This is the God we serve!  He takes us through these valleys of weeping but in the end, His plans for good prevail. He is with us through it all molding and shaping us into the people we are to become. We may not sense it while in the valley, but once we reach the mountain top, it’s a totally different perspective!

There are so many points along the way through the valley that you feel like giving up. Nothing seems to be going right. You’re trying to believe God but you’re not seeing anything good. You start to doubt His promises. The enemy is whispering lies that sound like truth. You are literally at your wits end! Remember, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (‭Jeremiah 29:11 NLT) No matter what the situation “feels” like, God’s Word is true and will come to pass. He will accomplish His will in your life. You do have His hope as a promise! Don’t waver in your belief in Him. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭3-4‬ NLT) This, my friends, is solid truth you can bet your life on. God is certainly not contained to man’s ways. He will not lie to you! He is forever faithful. 

The valley of weeping is not intended to harm you. It’s intended to catapult you into the place and character that God intends for you. He loves you too much to leave you as a shallow self-absorbed individual that hasn’t experienced His marvelous grace. He wants you to experience His goodness in the hard times so you can encourage others at their time in the valleys. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend (‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭17‬ NLT). This is what relationship with Almighty God and others looks like. It’s not all about us. It’s always about God’s perfect will. These valleys of weeping are an immersion into an unseen reality. God knows how to raise His children. He does not need parental advice from us. He knows the enemies we’re going to face in our lifetime. We don’t. He knows the training required for us to make it. Stay the course. Stay faithful. Stay strong and be unwavering.

Today’s guest writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.