“Lo though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil, Thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me.”

Talking about the length of a trip is far different than actually spending over 5,000 miles in a car driving it. On this trip we saw valleys that gave new meaning to David’s words from the Psalms. These valleys were no quick day journey for those early pioneers who went before us. Some of them may have never even made it through the length of these valleys or might even have set up camp for months before eventually passing through.

We often spend a long time in the spiritual valleys designed by our Father. Why does He lead through the shadows in theses valleys? It seems He has designed them to conform us into His image and purpose. The duration of our days in these valleys is often determined by the time it takes for us to learn how to yield joyfully. Some of our valleys take us longer to pass through than even our Father intends. Still, He will keep us in His valleys until we begin to experience contentment with the direction and even the degree of difficulty. His will is for us to come to all endurance and all longsuffering – with joy! Those who have traversed many valleys will tell you the secret to joyful longsuffering. It’s the same secret David discovered – “for Thou art with me.” Once we have learned that as long as the Father is with us and that His presence gives us light even in the shadows, we are soon ready for more open Sonlight.

“God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry. We are always in such a frantic hurry. In the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet; and God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality.”~ Oswald Chambers