The Journey Towards the Promises of God

If there's one quote that I have learned to be true, it would be the one that says, "The valleys can teach you lessons the mountain tops never could." Valleys are those defining moments in life that challenge you and test your faith, in turn impacting the very essence of who you are for better or worse, depending on how you view those obstacles. In contrast, mountain tops are those instances where you feel a profound sense of satisfaction and happiness. Your mountain top might be related to the success of a particular thing in your life, fulfillment of a need being met, or any type of gain you acquire. Wherever you are as you read this, I am certain of one thing: you are either walking through a valley or have arrived at your mountain top, living out and experiencing one or more of the many things you've been hoping, working, and/or praying for. This same experience can be compared to the journey towards the promises of God.

It's easy to believe that God's promises, or the blessings that we receive on this journey of faith, are the ultimate reward. But what if I told you that there are also valuable treasures found in the journey you have to take in order to attain the blessings of God?

Though our valleys may be associated with pain, suffering, and great sacrifice, we can use these as opportune moments to rely on God and grow in our faith. If we begin to look at the journey as a rewarding process, we open ourselves up to learning valuable lessons that will sustain us in the seasons to come.

The reality is, we can't avoid the valleys that we have to walk through in life. As previously stated, valleys can impact you either positively or negatively. Unfortunately, some individuals lose their faith in God when experiencing hardships. It is understood that this path can be difficult; however, we must stay rooted and anchored in Christ, even when things don't look favorable, as well as when we are waiting for blessings. If we ever stray from God due to a challenge in life, it's a clear indicator that we've allowed something else to take His place in our hearts, and we must do a self-introspection to see what that specific thing is. We need to ensure we remain close to God and not let our challenges distort our perception of Him and His character. We can refer to the following scripture to be reminded that when trials come, they're working for our good.

"Consider it a great joy whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have it's full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing" James 1:2-4 CSB

Trials birth spiritual maturity! If we begin to perceive trials as opportunities to grow in our faith, we will learn the power of endurance.

The Bible offers us more truth to consider on the matter of suffering. It says that we must partake in suffering just as Jesus did if we are to be called true children of God. And the promise is that if we share in His sufferings, we will also share in His glory!

"And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory. For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!" Romans 8:17-18 AMP

Partaking in suffering isn't the most exciting message, but ask yourself this: If I never faced difficulties or challenges in life, would I ever be presented with the opportunity to trust God if He gave me everything that I wanted or needed immediately when I asked?

Let's be real, my brother or sister. The clear answer is no. Why? Because if it were so that we got everything we desired from God right away, we would look at Him as a "genie" who grants our every wish, and that's just simply NOT who God is. No doubt, God gives us the desires of our hearts, but it has to be in alignment with His will for our lives.

God wants a genuine relationship with us that's not contingent on what His hand can physically give us. Just like every earthly relationship has to be intentionally built and taken care of, our relationship with God has to be nurtured with the same likeness. We must seek Him with our whole heart to know who He is, and when we know who He is, hardship won't change our perspective of a good and holy God! We must be careful not to place our desires above the One who blesses us.

If you're currently in a valley, I want to encourage you by letting you know that what you are walking through in this present moment has a purpose. At the end of that valley, you will realize that nothing you went through was wasted once you receive what God has promised you on the other side. So stay in the place of endurance, and let it have its full effect! You won't only come out with blessings, but you will come out with new lessons, tools, weapons of war, renewed strength, and a deeper revelation of who God is because you remained faithful. It won't be long before you walk into all that God has for you. Don't let the valley push you out of your faith in God!

If you're currently on your mountaintop, I urge you to reflect on the things that you've learned on the journey to get there, and to store up everything you've grasped along the way. More than likely, the things you've learned will be needed for the next trial you face in order to remind you of God's faithful hand. I also challenge you to encourage someone else that you know may be in a valley. Your wisdom and experience may help them, just as I pray that my insight is helping you.

I want to leave you with one more thing.

A promise is defined as:

1. (noun) A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.

2. (verb) Assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen.

3. (verb) Give good grounds for expecting (a particular occurrence or situation).

When looking at this definition, I immediately see how this is closely connected to the way in which we should view God and His word. What this lets us know is that if God has promised us something through His Word, it was already pre-arranged by Him that we would have it. Therefore, we can be assured that the promise was made on good ground and that it will definitely happen, and we can wait in high expectation for His promises to be fulfilled in our lives, no matter what we face on the journey towards it.

It's important, though, not to overlook the second and third definition, which is "promise" as a verb, implying that to promise someone something is an action. God's promises are already holding the weight of reliability because of His nature alone. It's already done! So then, our responsibility is not only to hold on to God's words and promises, but also to proclaim what He has already set in place for us through faith, even if we don't see it in the valley! We must pray and speak forth the promises of God, which is His word, in order to see them come to pass. Our mouth is a mighty weapon, so let's use it to speak His word during both good and challenging times.

I hope that this has encouraged you to find beauty within life's trials, not just in overcoming them! Your contentment is in God alone, not your circumstances, so the next time your circumstances seem unfavorable, ENDURE while holding on to your faith. And even on the mountain top, continue to praise Him for all that He's done.

It takes a journey to get to the promise!

---

Say this prayer:

"God, I thank you for every trial that I've faced in life. Help me to look at my circumstances as an opportunity to get to know you deeper and grow in my faith, even when things are going good. You have promised me so many things in Your word and I want to grab hold of every promise that you have made to me. Grow my desire to know You more than anything I could ever ask for, so that I may have a genuine relationship with You. In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

---

Want to give your life to Christ? Click here to view the salvation prayer on our resources page.