Revival does not only happen on the mountaintop. Sometimes God meets you deepest in the valley. This past Sunday, Pastor James Wilson brought a message that was honest, hopeful, and full of grace for anyone walking through a hard season.
Pain Is Not the Enemy of Revival
Pastor James opened with a question that many people quietly carry. What do you do when you want revival but you are in the middle of the hardest season of your life? How do you reconcile the two?
His answer was direct. Pain is not the enemy of revival. It can actually be the doorway. The valley, that season of darkness, uncertainty, grief, or fear, does not disqualify you from experiencing God. It may be exactly where God has chosen to meet you.
The big idea of the message was simple and worth writing down. Pain places you in bondage. But Jesus sets you free.
Psalm 23 says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. The key word is walk. You do not camp there. You do not give up there. God never wastes a hurt, and for the believer, pain is present but it is not permanent.
Four People Who Called Out to God
Pastor James walked through four case studies from Scripture. Four different people in four different valleys. Each one shows us something about what it looks like to trust God when life is hardest.
David. In Psalm 22, David cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was not being dramatic. He was being honest. He felt abandoned. He felt like his prayers were going unanswered. But Pastor James pointed out what David did not do. He did not stop. He kept calling out. Crying out to God is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of faith because it means you still believe God is there and that he hears you.
Martha. When her brother Lazarus died, Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Pastor James translated it plainly. Where were you? Why didn’t you show up? He pointed out that this is Scripture. It is in the Bible because it is okay to be honest with God about your disappointment. But Martha did not stop there. She followed it with, “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Even now. That phrase is worth holding onto. Even now, Lord, I know you will make a way.
Bartimaeus. A blind beggar sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by. He began to cry out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” The crowd tried to silence him. Pastor James had a word for anyone who has ever been shushed when they tried to share their struggle. You may need to reassess some boundaries. But more importantly, Bartimaeus cried out all the more. Jesus stopped. Jesus called for him. Bartimaeus threw off his cloak and ran to Jesus. The question Pastor James left with the room was this. What do you need to throw off and lay down so you can run to Jesus?
Paul. Paul had a thorn in his flesh, some unidentified struggle that he pleaded with God to remove three times. God’s answer was not yes. It was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Pastor James made a point that is easy to miss. Paul wrote those words while he was still in the valley. The Holy Spirit was working through him to write some of the most powerful words in all of Scripture in the middle of his struggle. The question for us is the same. How can you trust God and do what he has called you to do even while you are still in it?
What to Do in the Valley
Pastor James closed with three clear encouragements.
Call out to God. Not after the valley. During it. Calling out is not weakness. It is strength. It is faith in action.
Trust God through the pain. Not trust God after the pain is resolved. Through it. Even when God is silent, his silence is not his absence. God’s no is not his abandonment. He is still working. He is still present. He will never leave you in the valley alone.
Do not let the valley deter your faith. The enemy will whisper that God is not listening, that your prayers do not count, that nothing you do matters. That is a lie. Your life matters. God has a purpose for your life. If that purpose right now is to glorify him in the valley, that is enough.
Pastor James reminded the room of the promise in Revelation. One day God will wipe away every tear. There will be no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. The sufferings of this present time, as Romans 8:18 says, are not worth comparing to the glory that is coming.
Keep the faith. Remember his promises daily. Form your pain into purpose for his glory, not your own. Because someone around you needs to see how a believer walks through the valley. Not perfectly. Just faithfully.
There’s a Seat for You
Whether you are in the valley right now or you are just trying to prepare your heart for whatever is ahead, you belong here. We are a church that believes God meets you right where you are, especially in the hard places.
Plan Your Visit and come experience a community that will walk through the valley with you. Or take your next step and Get Connected with our church family. We would love to be there for you.