Chara-Joy 🌸

The benefits of the valleys
Two weeks ago I talked about the valley of the shadow of death, and this week I will be talking about the benefits of the valley of the shadow of death.

James 1:3-4 KJV says “3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”.

Many years ago, I had a call that caused me to cry for a long time; and the Holy Spirit brought the above verse to my mind after the call. (John 14:26).

Every time I prayed about the issue, the Lord brought the verse to my mind.
I didn’t know it will take thirteen years for that issue to be sorted. That is how many years I needed for patience to have its perfect work in me.

Let patient have her perfect work in you…..

Everyone’s path is different. What will take someone thirteen years, will take another person three years. God is the judge.

Well, within these thirteen years, I went through many other valleys and everything I had pride in was deflated. After this period I had become humble, very lowly and could relate with everyone especially those seen by others as outcasts.

One benefit of the valley of the shadow of death is that, character is formed in us, if we allow the process to continue and don’t rebel against it. Patient can be defined as the ability to accept delay, annoyance or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
The word says, let patient have her perfect work in you ….

The second thing is that, the Lord will remove some unwanted excesses from us making us smell nicely wherever we go.
2 Cor 2:15 says “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

Thirdly, the fruit of the spirit will develop in us Gal 5:22.

For the fruit of patience to develop in us, we may have to encounter a problem, then accept to go through the process without being anxious or annoyed. As we allow the process to go on, the fruit of patience will be developing in us. Patience doesn’t develop overnight. It is developed by accepting a delay without complaining.

Allow yourself to go through the valleys that the Lord permits to come your way, and you will see what work it will do in you.

‘But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”. James 1:4

Let’s pray 🙏

Father thank you that we can count on you in our darkest moments. Please help us to depend on you in such times.

Amen