Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD. ”(1 Kings 20:28)

The Syrians were a lot like many of us. They believe that God was in control only on the mountains and was absent in the valleys. We often believe that God is attentive and active when times are good and we are on the mountaintops of life, but we often see difficulties or valley as a sign that God can’t be trusted. In our age of affluence, many of us expect God to give us trouble free lives of peace and plenty. But God often has a different agenda. He knows that faith is forged most often in the hot fires of difficulties, in the valley of our lives so He takes us into these valleys to build our trust in Him.

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. In the valleys we may have to wait for an answer from God, but we can sure an answer will come. God delights in revealing Himself to us. Sometimes He shows Himself quickly and sometimes He delays for a while.

If you are in one of life’s valleys and are tempted to assume that God has abandoned you, remember that He is the God of the valley just as much as the God of the mountain.