brazilian feijoada

Valleys and Mountains

 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

Isaiah 39:4, NIV

Valleys and mountains are significant places throughout the biblical narrative. Valleys are often associated with hardship, battle, waiting, and struggle. Mountains, by contrast, are frequently places of personal encounter, and spiritual victory. Yet when we pause to think about it, does that not seem a little backwards?

A valley is often fertile, sheltered, and full of life. It is easier to reach, easier to inhabit, and easier to remain in. So why is it so often portrayed as a place of difficulty?

A mountaintop, on the other hand, can be exposed, rocky, isolated, hard to access and cannot easily sustain life. So why is it so often portrayed as a place of such extraordinary blessing?

This dichotomy intrigues me.

Valleys are where communities form and daily life unfolds. They are the ordinary places: familiar, productive, and full of routine. Yet perhaps that is also why they can become spiritually dangerous. In the valley, it is possible to become self-reliant, simply carrying on from one day to the next. The struggle may be unwanted, but it can become familiar.

Mountaintops are different. They are places we visit; not places we live. They require effort, perseverance, and sometimes courage to reach. They may be moments of profound encounter with God, but they are not intended to replace the reality of everyday life.

If we live only in the valley, we may forget that God invites us beyond survival into encounter. But if we are constantly clamouring for the mountaintop experience, we may lose sight of the sacredness of the ordinary. We can become so focused on our own spiritual encounters that we miss the people, responsibilities, and quiet invitations of God in our daily lives.

Today’s verse offers us hope. Isaiah speaks of a place where the extremes are brought together under His redeeming hand. Perhaps the promise is not that we will avoid valleys or remain forever on mountaintops, but that God will meet us in both. He will shape a level place where the ordinary rhythms of daily life and the extraordinary moments of intimacy with Him can become part of one faithful walk.

PRAYER

Father God, thank You for the mountaintop moments when I have known Your presence intimately and powerfully. Thank You also for meeting me in the valleys, where life can feel ordinary, painful, or hard. Raise what needs to be raised, lower what needs to be humbled, and make a level path within me where my struggles and Your presence can meet. Help me to walk with You faithfully in every season. Amen.

TODAY'S AUTHOR -Lindsey Hanekom

Lindsey has been involved with Ellel Ministries from the early days and has worked at all the UK Centres in varying roles.  In 2003, after a few years break from the ministry, Lindsey and her husband, Johann, joined the team at Ellel Scotland where they have settled with their two children, Kyle and Zoe.

Lindsey has become an established and passionate teacher within the ministry and loves sharing God’s heart in a down to earth and relevant way.  Lindsey has a heart for the deeply broken and those that others would easily give up on, as well as seeing ministry team develop and grow in their own giftings and service within Ellel.

Outside of work, Lindsey loves the natural world, particularly the ocean where she loves to scuba dive and is a trained medic for marine mammals.  She enjoys watching and coaching cricket, loves swimming, likes long walks in the countryside, and sometimes attempts fly fishing.

brazilian feijoada

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