Are you on the mountain or in the valley?

Note: I did not have time to upload this morning, so here is an evening cup of encouragement.  Also, due to a training event that requires me to leave early the next two mornings, I will not be posting again until Thursday, January 16.

(photo credit: panoramio.com)

"O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me." (Psalm 13, New Living Translation)

This is a slightly longer passage of scripture than our usual morning cup, but I was struck with a powerful truth in reading the psalm in its entirety this morning.

The writer was not in his "happy place" when he wrote. He felt abandoned, forgotten, sorrowful, overwhelmed, attacked ... you get the picture. We've all been there, haven't we? The waves of life keep crashing over us and we feel like we are about to go under for the last time.

"BUT"

Did you notice that word that provides the transition into the last two verses? "I trust ... I will rejoice ... I will sing ... "

Regardless of how he FELT, he CHOSE praise because he understood the constant and unchanging character of God.

If we can only trust and praise when things are going smoothly, it really is not a reflection on God, but evidence of our short memories and skewed perspective.

When my Uncle JC passed away a few years ago, I sang one of his favorite songs at the funeral. It says, "The God on the mountain is still God in the valleys." 

We cannot control how we feel, but we can control how we respond.

Question: Are you on the mountain or in the valley right now?

Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear from you.