“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” —Psalm 40:2

Life is a journey full of peaks and valleys. There are peaks of joy, happiness and laughter—valleys of sadness, depression and guilt from extremely painful experiences. While down in the valley—doom and gloom roams. You can lie there afraid waddling in self pity or get up and start to climb your way out. If you need help—just a little push—call on Jesus.

Down in the valley where the lost congregate. Where those who have gone astray come together hopefully one day they will find their way. It’s the valley where sin and disobedience rule on earth. It’s a valley where faith and hope is a fading memory. Without hope we die a slow death. It takes prayer and patience to dig your way out of that pit in the valley of iniquity and wickedness.

There is a valley where the green grass grow. Where flowers blossom nurtured by flowing rivers and streams. This is not the valley where I ended up. I made my bed amidst the thorns, rocks the bushes and dirt due to my behavior. It’s the choices you make in life that determines where you’ll end up. God knew where I was all the time yet he let me stay there for awhile.

There were lessons I needed to learn due to past unfortunate experiences. So I laid there amidst the thorns no rest for my weary bones. All awhile I dreamed of a way out a new home to lay down my head in a flower bed cushioned on green grass. Nestled, protected in Gods loving arms—instead I lie painfully in Satan’s den of thorns.

The deeper the valley the higher you must climb. There is no easy way out, no elevator to the top. Repentance and forgiveness is the stair steps required to climb out. How deep is your valley? Where do you reside? Are you on the edge the ledge of life? If so don't give up. Take a leap of faith. God will either catch you or teach you to fly. Keep on climbing until you reach the top. If you slip and fall get back up. That day will come when you will climb out.

Grateful am I for the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Humbling myself helped me see the light. It was my ego that edged God out of my life. Prayer and repentance freed me from that self imposed prison. The painful lessons learned while down in the valley can never be forgotten. I didn’t know my own strength, never had it been tested. Now I’m climbing out with a little help from my Lord Jesus Christ.

God has a plan for every child, women and man. Most often we take detours moving at a fast pace unable to physically sometimes mentally keep up on a daily basis. We start out focused on a particular job or career but for most of us that will change—it's not God's plan. If you knew then what you know now, you would not make the same mistake twice. Slow down give God a little of your time. You just might learn his plan for your life along this journey in your life.

Down in the valley—the valley of life. To experience God’s amazing grace you must go through that valley of tears, pain and heartache. How else would you know what God can do if you’ve never gone through the trials and tribulations life puts you through? After suffering but for awhile the Lord will direct your way—the path you should take to climb out of that valley of anxiety, depression and despair.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” —Psalms 23:4

Yvonne C. Freeman

From the inspiration of the Lord