Ecclesiastes 7:3
“Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”
People oftentimes bemoan the valley and wish that they could live on the mountaintops. On the other hand, God says that “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” Without sadness, the heart could not be made better. God goes further in the next verse and says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” In other words, it is in the valley where you will find the wisdom to make life better.
While some may choose the mountaintop, I choose the valley for many reasons. Flowers grow in the valley. You don’t see the beauty of the flower on the mountaintop, but you see it in the valley. It is in the valley where you will find the calming streams. It is in the valley where you see the green grass grow and hear the birds chirping amongst the flowers. It is in the valley where you can fish in the lakes, streams and rivers. It is in the valley where the soul is restored. Yes, the mountaintop allows you to step out of reality for a short time and look at life from a different perspective, but it is in the valley where you will find the presence of God. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” Yes, it’s in the valley where you find God walking by your side.
Christian, it is time you stop bemoaning the valleys that God sends you through and realize that the valleys are where you grow. There are many times in the valley that God reveals to me something that I never knew about myself, something that I didn’t like about myself that needed to be changed. I would have never learned this without the valley. Instead of bemoaning your valley, you need to learn what God is trying to teach you there.
Moreover, enjoy the presence of God while you are in the valley. Certainly, God is with us when we are on the mountaintops, but He specifically reminds us that He is with us in the valley. If you would stop complaining about your valley, you might see that God’s presence is right beside you. Even though the psalmist was walking through the valley, he realized that God’s presence was there to help him face what his valley brought. If you look back at every trial you have ever faced, you will always see the presence of God was always there. That same presence is with you today in whatever valley you face.
Furthermore, it is in the valley where you will find joy and growth. The verse above says, “…for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” You would never have times of laughter and joy without going through the valley. The peak of one’s joy shows me the depth of the valley they have endured. The most joyful people of life are the people who have suffered the most. So you are walking through a valley today, and your valley seems to be the deepest valley that a person has ever walked through; let me encourage you to realize that God is trying to increase your joy if you will stop running from your valley. You can choose to live in the valley and grow, or you can miss the blessings of the valley by complaining. It is your choice. What are you going to do?