Believers have been enjoined not to see challenges as punishment from God or afflictions from enemies. Instead, they should see them as part of God’s spiritual maturity and advancement plan.
This admonition came from the Assistant Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, TFOLC, King’s Dome, Egbeda, Pastor Gbolahan Lawson, during the April 28 Thursday Showers service.
He took his Bible reference from Genesis 8:22 and Ecclesiastes 3:2, saying God created different seasons for a reason.
According to Pastor Lawson, a day does not make a complete 24 hours without the night, just as a year cannot be whole without the different seasons of harmattan, winter, summer, and spring.
He noted that just as sowing or laying a foundation is not always fun, challenges are not always fun, but if believers can understand that season and use it well, they will rejoice in the end, just as a farmer rejoices during harvest.
“The good and tough times come together just as there can’t be harvest without showing,” he said.
Likening these different seasons to life, the cleric said that there are times when everything feels good. He referred to this season as the “mountain top season.” The other season of life is the “low valley season”, where things don’t go according to plan.
“The mountaintop season is wonderful, but the valley season is stressful. As much as you would like to spend more time in the mountain top season, there must be a low valley season,” he added.
Pastor Lawson explained the different valley seasons in a believer’s life to be in relationships, health, career, finances, spiritual valley or delays, disappointment, and betrayals.
He added that believers sometimes find themselves in these valleys due to their actions or inactions, while at other times, external factors are the cause.
The preacher, however, was quick to add that God, who is a merciful Father, would still bring them out of it after building character in them.
“We get ourselves into some valleys, but God is a merciful God who will still bring us out of those valleys. One of the reasons valleys are inevitable is for us to form character.
“Even though you love the harvest and the mountain tops, your character is not built there. Instead, your character is formed in the valley,” Pastor Lawson maintained.
One primary reason people get agitated about the challenges of life, according to the clergyman, is a lack of knowledge about the future. He explained that if men knew the duration and expiry date of challenges, they would not be agitated.
“If you knew how long your challenges would last, you wouldn’t be troubled. You are troubled because you don’t know. But what I know is that you are coming out of that valley because our God is faithful and merciful,” he added.
While also reading from Isaiah 43:1-5, Psalm 23:4-5, James 1:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Lamentations 3:22-23 and Psalm 84:5-6(TPT), he told the worshippers that understanding their sonship in Christ, not entertaining fear, having patience, seeking wisdom, trusting God, and praising Him (counting their blessings) is what to do when they find themselves in the valleys of life.
“That you are in a valley season of life doesn’t mean you’ve offended God; but it’s part of the plan. So, don’t forget that God is with you. He’s God in the mountain and God in the valley.
“There are things that could happen that would make you afraid, but fear not. God never promised believers a life without problems, but through it all, He will bring you out.”
