Excellent evidence of spiritual growth in our lives is when we stay close to the Lord in good times AND in bad times. Most of us, prior to becoming Christians, never included God in our accomplishments and victories – He never even came to our minds. But, when we hit rock bottom and we were in trouble, we were begging for God to help us. Then, when God fixed our problem, we never even bothered to thank Him; rather, we just went right back up on the mountain and enjoyed life without Him. Over the years, we grow in our faith to love sharing our lives with the Lord on the mountaintops and in the valleys, and we love the fact that He is always with us and never deserts us.
I love Psalm 23 – especially verse 4. God does not promise us a never-ending mountaintop experience throughout life; however, He does promise to always be with us and comfort us in tough times. Read Psalm 23 and listen to Hills and Valleys by Tauren Wells. I pray you stay close to God whether you are on the mountaintop or in the valley today.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd,
I will not be in need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.