SERMON: "MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR VALLEY!" (LORD THIS THING PREACHED TODAY!!!!)

MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR VALLEY
2 KINGS
3:6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" "I will go with you," he replied. "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." 8 "By what route shall we attack?" he asked. "Through the Desert of Edom," he answered. 9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. 10 "What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the Lord called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?" 11 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord through him?" An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah." 12 Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the Lord is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." "No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab." 14 Elisha said, "As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. 15 But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha 16 and he said, "This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also hand Moab over to you. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."

First, before you get panicking about the idea of what I am saying, let’s understand WHAT YOUR VALLEY TRULY IS:

A valley is: an elongated depression between uplands, hills, or mountains, esp. one following the course of a stream.

Did you hear that? The simple definition should case a shouting in here. Even in the midst of your moment and whatever you are going through, you must hear that God knew that you’d be here. Don’t panic, prepare.

Somebody say: There will be peace in the valley

The song “THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE VALLEY” was written in 1939, by Thomas Dorsey, originally for Mahalia Jackson. The song has been recorded by 100s of artists, from Elvis Presley to country superstar Faith Hill. The record has the distinction of being the 1st gospel record to sell A MILLION COPIES. The songs that always resonate are the ones that pull us up out of hard times:

I NEED YOU NOW
NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT
I TRUST YOU
...We need to know that there is a way out.

In these moment, we have to be reminded that these low places, these elongated depressions between high places have a purpose! When you cry out, in your struggle, in your trial, it is your ASKING. It is what God has always commanded of us and from us. It’s about releasing it from your spirit and your hands. This is supposed to be your resting period, in preparation for the Harvest to come.

THE SUMMER REPRESENTS A DRY DROUGHT BECAUSE YOUR SEEDS ARE UNDER THE EARTH, PREPARING FOR HARVEST…AND DOING THINGS THAT YOU CAN’T SEE…BUT YOU CAN’T CURSE. This time is the hardest for us as humans being because we are most impatient here, most misperspectived here, most unsure here. This is often the time, that just like the Kings, we think that God has brought us not to our high place, but right to center stage for our enemies to witness our execution. Don’t freak out in this season. Make peace with your valley because in the valley, between these high places, is where you must recoup to recover. OH, YOU ARE GONNA DIE HERE! But it’s only that you might live again!

THE SPRING SEASON WAS A TIME WHEN YOU PLANTED SEEDS. IN THOSE PRAYERS WE PRAYED ALL MAY, WE WERE SURRENDERING ALL TO GOD. YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR VALLEY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THOSE PRAYERS NEED GROWTH TIME AND NURTURE TIME AND FRUIT-BEARING TIME SO WHEN YOU MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR VALLEY, YOU TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF GOD’S WORK AND LET GO!

Making peace with pieces

The Bible says YAY, THO I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH…IT’S JUST THE SHADOW…I WILL FEAR NO EVIL…FOR THOU ART WITH ME!

This is just the shadow of death. This may feel like a thing that can take your life, but it’s only the shadow. Make peace with this moment. I didn’t say become friends with it. I’m saying don’t let it be your enemy; let it be your footstool.

I know that you may not have all that you need, but you planted the seeds and you’ve got to let this valley do what this valley time is supposed to do. This valley is a period between highs that makes you rest and release, stop and surrender, pause and praise, slow down and lift up.

This thing hasn’t come along to see what God thinks about you. This thing has come along to show you what you think about God!

You think you are being set-up, that you are disliked, that you are still an abomination, that you may be loved by God but down here, you are still unworthy, you are undeserving. Is that what you think Job?

Job is going well but
Kids are doing fine but
Health is better than ever but
Mind is clearer than ever and heart is fixed and spirit is full but

It is that piece that blocks your peace. It is giving that thing so much power that it makes you forget that you are blessed that puts you in this valley. As much as you'd like to ignore or avoid that thing right now, it is that thing that must move that you might move. I know, I know, you may not get it’s purpose right now.

I wish my son Ga’Vel was here right now and not working hard on his 2nd job as a cook at IHOP. He would tell you, as might Trustee Nancybelle and Sister Josette and Sister Saundra and any of the cooks in the building: SOMETIMES THE RECIPE CALLS FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. I don't understand why this recipe of my life includes both sugar AND a pinch of salt...joy but just a few moments of pain…but you can't cheat the recipe. Any cake makers, bread-baker will tell you this as well: When you try to open the oven before the final product is done, it will surely fall. You must make peace with the heat of the baking time. I WISH SOMEBODY COULD HEAR ME! You must make peace with your valley. Remember that you prayed and put all of the ingredients into God’s hand. NOW LET GOD BAKE IT! LET GOD WORK IT OUT!

I know you struggle with this idea, but you must be at peace…

In order for Heaven on Earth to be true, there must be peace in the valley

In order for Gods Word that lo I am with you even til the end of the Earth

In order for Gods declaration that No weapon formed against you shall prosper, there must be peace in the valley.

The Kings started to panic, but God sent a Word.

This dry season should not trick or surprise you because the season right before the Harvest is the driest. You prayed and the rain showered...but then it gets dry. Make peace with this season because something is happening up under the earth and above the sky that's none of your concern although it concerns you!

LET ME READ THIS SCRIPTURE TO YOU AGAIN, BECAUSE SOMEBODY HEARD ME BUT WASN’T LISTENING: From verse 16 - "This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also hand Moab over to you. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."

Even in this valley, dig deeper! Dig deeper into your prayer life. Dig deeper into your hopes and hallelujahs. Dig deeper into this situation to see what this situation has truly come to teach you and pull up out of you.

You will see neither wind nor rain:
YOU WILL NOT SEE HOW GOD IS WORKING IT OUT

Yet this valley will be filled with water:
SOMEBODY OUGHT BE SHOUTING RIGHT HERE

You, your cattle and your other animals will drink:
EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE WILL BE BLESSED

THIS IS AN EASY THING IN THE EYES OF THE LORD…then it says YOU WILL…overthrow madness, cut down fear and foolishness, stop up all haters and ruin every good trick that the enemy tried to use against YOU!

Make peace with your valley because in the valley is where you are going to find out what you are made of AND just what you were made for!

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There’s a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on
Through the wind
Walk on
Through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and thrown
Walk on
With all of your hope in your heart
AND YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

You are not walking alone…YAY, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH… I WILL FEAR NO EVIL…for Tho Art With Me!

The trick in this season of dry time is to try to trick you into believing that God needs you to pull out a hose and DO SOMETHING. You need to take your hands off of it. You must make peace with your valley and let it do what it do! You need to use those hands to give God glory for giving you peace that don’t make sense, even in the Valley!

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