Sickness had dogged him since childhood; year after year, he battled despair. At times he felt so hopeless that he described himself as a living dead man, cut off from God’s care.
Yet he was one of three appointed, anointed national worship leaders during Israel’s glory days, the reign of King David.
The same man who wrote Psalm 88, the most despondent Psalm in the whole Bible, which ends with the line,”Darkness is my closest friend,” also led a full choir and orchestra in singing praise to God, time after time:
“He is good; his love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 5:13)
Talk about the tension of the already/not yet! Heman (Hay-mawn) knew this paradox all too well.
Perhaps you do, too.
Maybe life is tough and you’ve been in a dark valley for a time. Maybe your feelings and circumstances make it seem like God is angry with you, or that he’s playing some kind of cruel joke, or that he just doesn’t care.
Perhaps your prayers have boiled down to the simple cries of “Why?” and “Help!”
Just like Psalm 88.
If that’s the case, I’m sorry for your distress. I want you to know that this season holds certain treasures for you.
Here’s the thing: In order to find value in the valley, you need to recognize what the valley reveals.
- A valley reveals your human limitations and your utter dependence on God and others. It helps you realize how vulnerable you really are. It offers you humility, a priceless virtue.
In Humble Roots, Hannah Anderson says, “Humility is understanding who God is and who we are. Humility remembers both your human limitations and God’s transcendent power.”
- A valley reveals your intrinsic worth aside from performance and achievement. Maybe you feel helpless or useless right now. The truth is, you are created in God’s image, and therein lies your value — not in what you get done.
- A valley reveals bad theology. We can be tempted to believe that if we say or do ABC, God has to do XYZ. But God is bigger than our faith formulas. The valley strips away false comfort and helps us learn to trust in the midst of unanswered questions.
You see…
It’s only when you feel helpless that you realize how much you need a Helper.
It’s only when you feel useless that you realize your worth is not in your work.
It’s only when life feels out of control that you realize Who has been in control all along.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” — I Peter 5:10
In the valley, God is at work mending and repairing you, strengthening and confirming your faith, laying a solid foundation in your very soul.
The biggest benefit of the valley is personal transformation.
When we come out of the dark, low places of our journey, we come out changed. What we gain there lasts forever.
It’s been said that God is more interested in our character than our comfort. He sees the big picture, and he has your best interests in mind.
Back to our man Heman — here’s how he felt: “Your wrath lies heavily on me…why, Lord, do you reject me?” (Psalm 88:7, 14).
Yet here’s what happened:
I Chronicles 25:5 says that God exalted Heman by giving him fourteen sons and three daughters –in the ancient Hebrew world, a huge sign of God’s favor!
Heman’s suffering was not due to God’s anger. Your suffering isn’t, either. Far from it.
He is good. His love endures forever. He is working something deep and eternal in you.
Will you trust him in the valley?
Such truth, beautifully written. The most valuable thing I’m learning is how to trust in the midst of unanswered questions. Thank you, Susanne.
Thank you, Kit. It’s hard to embrace mystery, isn’t it? But that’s what faith is!
Great article Susanne! Our son Josh needs much prayer as he has been battling depression for past several months, recently broke up with his girlfriend of 4 years which was needed in order for him to heal. Do u have any books or articles besides this one to share for a young adult like him? He is still stating he is atheist. Thank you for your prayers and wisdom . Linda Felts
I’ll pray for Josh, Linda! An atheist worldview is ultimately not a worldview with hope, and this can contribute to depression. One resource that comes to mind is Barney Wiget’s book, The Other End of the Dark. I’m not sure how open Josh would be to reading it, but Barney is very open about the faith struggles he has had and has overcome.
Thank you so much! Will check this book out!
We did order Barney Wiggett book and David is reading it first and loves it and is excellent read. So great to see how he is doing and how he came through it. We also downloaded his podcasts that are excellent as well. Thanks for your prayers. I was able to get spiritually refreshed at a Women’s Retreat in Tahoe with my Aunt Sue’s church that was so full of the Holy Spirit and so anointed with the theme of Dust to Diamonds .It was the best and well organized and thought out and prayed for retreat I have ever attended! God is good all the time!
Yes, He is!