In this place…I’m frustrated. In this place…I’m disappointed. In this place…I’m discouraged. But this place…is holy. Because this…is where my Father is. And this…is the place that He called me to. A place that looks nothing like the vision He gave me. A place that seems barren, and vacant of promise. But if this barren place is a holy place, then there must be a reason that He brought me here. Because my God is not one of happenstance. He has a reason for everything…a purpose for every season that He leads us through.
I think that, as we walk by faith, it’s important for us to remember how God works in our lives. He gives us a vision…a view of the mountaintop. But He will never lead us to that place without first leading us through a valley.
We must go through the valley to get to the mountaintop.
Why? Because the valley is where God develops us. With every frustration, we learn to depend on Him. With every disappointment, we learn to endure even the toughest battles…to persist no matter what comes our way. We learn to hope, no matter what. We learn to have faith, no matter what. And this is what our purpose requires. We need this place…this holy place, to become the person that He’s called us to be.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, (Romans 5:3-4 ESV)
In the book of Exodus, we see how this plays out in Moses’ life. He is famous for leading the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness…this was a major part of his purpose; this was his mountaintop. But, I want to remind us that Moses first had to go through a valley. As he fled Egypt, he was forced to leave behind everything that he knew. As he wandered in the wilderness, he was completely lost…frustrated, disappointed, and discouraged. But all of this was necessary. You see, when Moses fled Egypt, he wandered through the same wilderness that he would be tasked to lead the Israelites through decades later. He met with God on the same mountain that he would later be called to, to receive the Ten Commandments.
God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” (Exodus 3:12 NLT)
This is not a coincidence, because as I said, our God has a purpose for everything that we go through. God led Moses through that specific valley intentionally. He was preparing Moses to become the man we know him as today.
In the book of Genesis, we see another example of God leading someone through a valley in order to prepare them for the mountaintop. Most of us know the astonishing story of Joseph. He’s known for his coat of many colors; and more importantly, he’s known for rising to power in Egypt and saving the lives of the children of Israel. This was Joseph’s mountaintop. This was the dream that God had given him from the start. This was his promise. But, Joseph had to endure the valley in order to reach that place.
First, Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery by his own brothers. And then, he was falsely imprisoned. He spent years paying for a crime that he didn’t commit. And all of that time, he had to face the reality that he was far from the promise that God had given him. Instead of prominence and prosperity, he lived in a barren place…but it was a holy place. You see, Joseph’s situation appeared to lack promise; all there seemed to be was betrayal and drought, but God was setting the scene for purpose.
But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said (Genesis 50:15)
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 50:21 NLT)
Joseph was able to save Egypt, the surrounding areas, and his entire family from drought because of what he learned through his own drought. In that holy place, Joseph learned how to hold on to the promises of God, even when they seemed inconceivable. In that holy place, he learned to follow, he learned to lead, he learned to endure. He became the man that single-handedly saved a generation.
We become, in the valley.
Who has God called you to become? Has He given you a vision or a dream? Has he planted purpose deep within your heart? Whatever that dream is…whoever He’s called you to be, I want you to know that you will become that person, in the valley. He will teach you, in the middle of your frustration. He will refine you, in the middle of your disappointment. He will strengthen you, in the middle of your discouragement. And then, He will enable you to lead someone else through the valley that He brought you through.
This Holy Place isn’t just for you.
Without Joseph’s holy place, everyone would have died of starvation. Without Moses’ holy place, the Israelites would have never seen the promised land.
Now, my question to you is…who’s depending on your holy place? Because God never does anything for us without having someone else in mind. He has your children in mind. He has your spouse in mind. He has your family, friends, and co-workers in mind. Your holy place is designed to change someone else’s life.
Your holy place will breathe life into someone else.
But first, you must allow Him to breathe life into you. You must allow Him to lead you, even in your frustration. You must follow Him, even when you’re disappointed…even when you’re discouraged. And as long as you don’t give up, as long as you remain in this place, you will see all that He has for you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Thank you for walking with me, and thank you for never leaving my side. Today, I have been reminded that my valleys are holy. I have been reminded that my trials, frustrations, and disappointments are holy…because you are in the midst of everything I go though. I know that because I’m following you, that I am walking in the direction of purpose, regardless of what my situation looks like. So today, I declare that I will follow you…even in the barren season…even in the drought. Because I know that you are working it all out for my good, and for the good of those around me. Today, I am making the decision to trust you no matter what. And I know that as I continue to trust you, I will see your promises unfold in my life. I love you, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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