Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes and thanks so much for being a part of the program today. We love you. If you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in and thank you again for coming out today. I'd like to start with something funny. And one day this young man was talking to God and he said, God, what's a million years like to you? God says, Son, to me, a million years is like one second. He said, well, God, what's a million dollars like to you? He said, Son, a million dollars to me is like one penny to you. I thought about it a moment. He finally got up his courage. He said, God, would you give me a penny? God said sure, just a second, hold up your Bible, say that like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus name, God bless you. I want to talk to you today about the valley of blessing. We all go through difficult times in life and things that we don't understand. When we're in the valley, it's easy to get discouraged and think that it will never get better. Too often we lose our passion. But the scripture talks about the valley of blessing. That seems like a contradiction. We think I can't be in the valley and be blessed in the valley. I'm discouraged dealing with this health issue. These people at work won't treat me right. We see the valley as being negative. As soon as I get out of this situation, I'll have a better attitude. But I've learned God doesn't always remove the valley. He'll bless you in the valley. David said, God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Doesn't say God will remove all my enemies, eliminate everything that's bothered me. Didn't prepare the table. No, in the midst of the trouble, in the midst of the adversity, he prepares the table. He doesn't have to deliver you from it. He can deliver you in it. One time in the scripture, Isaac was in a great famine. Nobody's crops could grow. Land was dry and hard, no water. But he went out and planted his fields, and in the same year he received a onefold return. God didn't have to deliver him from the famine. He blessed him in the midst of the famine. You may be in a valley right now, fighting a battle in your health, in your finances, in a legal situation. God knows how to turn that battle field into your blessing field. Don't complain about the valley. There's a blessing in that valley. It wasn't sent to harm you, It was sent to increase you. You need to get ready. It's not going to stay a valley of defeat. It's about to turn to a valley of victory. What you think is a value of disappointment, loss, heartache. God is going to turn to a valley of new beginnings, a valley of greater fulfillment. Or perhaps you're in a valley of sickness. You could easily be discouraged and settle where you are. Take heart, it's only temporary. It's going to turn to a valley of health, a valley of raiders strength. God has you in the palm of his hand. He promised the number of your days he will fulfill. Don't be fooled by the valley like Isaac. It's about to turn to a valley of breakthroughs, a valley of abundance, a valley of victory. It's a valley of blessing. This is what happened in the Scripture to the people of Judah. They were surrounded by three major armies who were quickly closing in on them. In the natural they didn't have a chance. They were outnumbered ten to one. Jahassa Phat the king. He called everyone together to pray. All these people stood before him, husbands, wives, little children. You can imagine how worried, how concerned their lives were on the line. Jahassa Phat looked up to the heavens. He said, God, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are upon you when you're in the valley. It's okay to be honest. God, I don't see how could ever get out. I don't see how it could get well, how my family could be restored. That's fine, but don't stop there. Do like he did. God, I don't see away, but my eyes are up on you. I know you still have a way. I know nothing's too difficult for you. After he finished praying, a young man spoke up and said, this is what the Lord says. Don't be discouraged by these mighty armies. For the battle is not yours. The battle is the lord's. You may be facing big enemies today, God is saying the same thing. Quit letting it upset you, Quit losing your peace. It's not your battle. It's the Lord's battle. God went on to instruct them that the next day they were to walk towards their enemies. He said, you won't even need to fight. Just take your positions, then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. King Jehosaphat did something interesting. He put the musicians out in front, the singers and the praisers with every step as they walked towards their enemies, they saying the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever. Notice in the valley, they weren't complaining. They weren't saying, we'll never get out, this problem is too big. Why does this happen to us? No, they were singing praises. They were talking about the greatness of their God. They were speaking faith into their future. What you're saying in the valley is extremely important. If you go around saying I'm never gonna get out, Joel, I've got all these problems, always get these bad breaks, then you're going to get stuck. But when you start talking about how great your God is, how no weapon formed against you or prosper how this problem didn't come to stay, it came to pass. I can do all things through Christ. I am more than a conquer When you start talking like that, that's when God show up and make things happen that you could never make happen. When these enemy armies heard all the singing, the shouting, the commotion, they got confused and begin to fight among themselves. They ended up killing each other. When the people of Judah arrived, their enemies were already defeated. They didn't have to lift one finger in their defense. Just like God promised, stand still and He will fight your battles. These enemy armies left so many supplies, so much equipment, valuables, clothing, that it took the people of Judah three days to collect it all. On the fourth day, the scripture says, they stood in the Valley of Blessing and faint God for what he had done. Isn't it interesting? In the place where they had their greatest battles, their most powerful enemies. God didn't call that the valley of opposition, the valley of struggle, the valley of heartache. He called it the valley of blessing. When you face tough times, have this new perspective. That is not the value of defeat. That's the valley of victory. That's not a value to hold you back. It's a value of promotion. It's not a value of sickness. It's a valley of restoration. Maybe, like the people of Judah, what you're facing looks insurmountable. Medical report doesn't look good. You lost your biggest client, Your child won't do what's right. Those enemies may look big, but one touch of God's favor can turn it all around. Don't get discouraged. God has not brought you this far to leave you. Every voice may tell you that's a value of defeat. You're never going to get out, never accomplish your dreams. The good news is you don't have to get out of the valley. God can bless you in the valley. The enemy may have meant it for your harm, but he doesn't have the final say. God does. He says, stand still and I'm gonna show you my goodness. Stay in faith, and I'm going to turn that battle field into your blessing field. What should have defeated you is going to increase you. You're going to come out better. I love the fact it took them three days to gather up all the spoils. Would have been a great victory if God would have just defeated their enemies spared their lives. But God never brings you out the saint. He makes the enemy paid for bringing that trouble into your life. And sometimes we're just hoping to make it through the valley. God help me make it through this dry season at work. But God says, no, I'm gonna turn that valley into a valley of abundance. Bureau football fan, you probably know who Tony Dungie is one of the great coaches of our day. After playing in the league many years, in ninety six, he got his first job as a head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team. He was so excited. Was a dream come true. He told me how he didn't know anyone in that organization, didn't have any special inside contacts, but out of several qualified candidates, they chose him. He knew it was the hand of God opening that door. And for six years everything was going good. They were making more progress, winning more games. But one day, unexpectedly, he was fired. They let him go. He thought, God, I know you gave me this job. I know this was your plan. I don't understand why this has happened to me. He was in the valley. Didn't make sense, but he didn't start complaining. He didn't get bitter. He understood this principle that there's a blessing in every valley. David said in Psalm twenty three, the Lord is my shepherd. He leads me by the still waters, leads me to the green pastures. We like that part of the passage, but a little later it says, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He was saying, the same God that leads you to the green pastures and the still waters sometimes will lead you to the valley. You may not understand it, but if it wasn't going to work for your good, God would have never allowed it. When you face tough times, you have to remind yourself. God would not be leading you to that valley. If that's all there was lost defeat, too bad, you're done. No, there's a purpose for that valley, not to hinder you, but to help you, not to hold you back, but to push you forward, not to weaken you, but to make you stronger. Now the key is our attitude in the valley. If Jahassa fat would have thought, God, I've served you all these years, I've done my best, and now look, these enemies are gonna wipe us out. That's just not right. If he would have been negative, bitter, discouraged, he would have never seen this valley of blessing. Most likely he would have been captured or even killed. Proverbs says the steps of a good person are ordered by the Lord. When you encounter a valley. Sometimes it's not because you've done anything wrong. It's because you're doing something right. God is ready to promote you. But the way he's going to do it is by taking you through the valley of blessing. We think, God, if you're gonna bless me, don't take me down, take me up. You want to promote me, don't let me lose my job. But God's ways are not our ways. They are much bigger. His plan is better than our plan. What I'm saying, don't fight your valleys. Stay encouraged. Every those door, every bad break, everything that didn't work out that valley was not a surprise to God. It's an opportunity for you to go to a higher level. God is directing your steps when you're on the mountaintops, and he's directing your steps even when you're in the valley. And I'm not saying to accept defeat, settled from mediocrity. This is God's plan. Now, I'm saying, when you go through a valley, and we all do, when a door closes, you get a bad medical report, don't get bitter. Don't live with a chip on your shoulder. Start expecting new doors to open. New opportunities, new friendships. God wouldn't have led you there if it wasn't going to work for your good. There's a blessing in that valley. And of course coach Dungee he was disappointed that he lost his job, but he didn't sit around talking about how bad life had treated him. He started thanking God that new doors were going to open. He knew the same God that opened the door in Tampa Bay had now closed that door. The same God that had directed his steps and gave him favor to get that job had now directed his steps away from what he thought was his dream job. He was in the valley. Not long after that, he received a phone call from the Indianapolis Colts football organization. They said, we're looking for a new head coach. Would you be interested. They had a good quarterback named Peyton Manning. He said, I think so. He took that job, and Coach Dungee went on to have incredible success coaching the Colts. They won the Super Bowl, had many other winning seasons. God turned that valley into a valley of victory. Here's the thing. Had God never closed that door, he may not have ever won the Super Bowl. Don't fight your valleys. They're leading you to your greatest victory. In the valleys, we always gain something. We may not like it, but we gain experience, we gain endurance. Our character is being developed. With every victory comes a new level of confidence, something that you'll need later on to go to a higher level. The valleys are getting us prepared. God knows what's in your future. He knows what you're going to need when you're going to need it. Everything happens for a reason. A challenge you face today may not make sense, you may not understand it, but fifteen years from now, because it deposited something in you, you'll be prepared for what you face. God doesn't do anything randomly. He's specific, He's detailed. If the valley wasn't necessary, you wouldn't be there. If that setback, that disappointment wasn't going to add anything to your life, God would have never allowed it. Now, don't try to figure out why it happened. That will only confuse you. Just stay in faith, trust God that he knows what's best, and you can be certain everything that comes your way in life, somehow, some way, God is eventually going to work that to your advantage. When David was a teenager, he went out to face Goliath in the Valley of Elah. Wasn't a coincidence that he was in the valley? We see this principle. Goliath, of course, was much bigger, stronger, had more experience. It looked impossible, like David didn't have a chance, But again we see God turn a valley of defeat into a valley of blessing. David took his slingshot and he knocked Goliath out. David didn't have a sword, so he went over and got goliath sword and finished him off. David came out of that valley not only with more experience, more confidence, more respect, but he came out with the sword of Goliath. Fast forward, years later, David was on the run from King Saul. Saul was jealous of David and trying to kill him. David had to leave in such a hurry that he didn't have time to get his sword. He had no way to protect himself. He ran to the next city, went to the temple, saw some people that he knew. He told them he was on assignment for the king. Asked if they had a sword he could borrow. They said, David, all we have is the sword of Goliath, the Philistine whom you killed in the valley. Notice, something that had happened in the valley was now instrumental to David reaching the next level of his destiny. Had he not gained the sword in the valley, he would have gotten stuck. Friends, God has it all figured out. The valley you faced today may not be for today. It may be for years down the road. But if you didn't learn what you needed to learn, gain what you needed to gain, you wouldn't be prepared for the new levels. Don't complain about the valley. There's a blessing in that valley. Later on you're gonna use the experience, the confidence that sword, so to speak, will be waiting for you. A few years after Victoria and I were married, we moved into a new house and we sold our old house. One day there was a knock on the door. This policeman was standing there. My heart started beating so fast. He smiled and handed me some papers and he said, kind of lightly, somebody must really not like you. I thought, what do you mean, What is this? He said, You've been named in a lawsuit. Well, the people that bought our house were suing over the plumbing. They not only sued us, but they sued the builder, of the architect, real estate agent, the plumber, everybody they could think of. And we knew we weren't at fault. We didn't build a house and the plumbing had worked for us. But for those six months while we were in a lawsuit, I was sick to my stomach. I was so worried. At twenty six years old, I thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. In a few weeks, I was going to have to give my deposition in front of a lawyer and tell them what had happened. I studied, I prepared, found all my documents. I was so nervous, went and gave my deposition. When I was finished, I was so nauseated that I couldn't drive home. Had to have somebody come and pick me up. That seemed like the biggest waste of time and energy to me, so much unnecessary heartache, stress. I didn't see how anything productive could ever come out of that. But in every valley you're gaining something. You may not realize it, but there's a purpose. Thirteen years later, we just acquired this place, the former Compact Center, a company filed a lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in. Now I wasn't dealing with a small plumbing problem. I was dealing with something that was critical to my destiny. When I went to give my deposition in front of a battery of high powered attorneys, I wouldn't the least bit nervous. I was confident. I was prepared. I had experience. I had been there before. I knew exactly what to expect. Like David, that sword was waiting for me. There was a purpose for that valley thirteen years earlier. I didn't see it at the time. I let it stress me out, steal my joy. Now realize it was a valley of blessing. I've learned nothing happens by accident. There's no use getting upset and letting it sour your life. Stand still and you will see the victory. One day, you will look back and see what God was up to. You'll say, like I did, Lord, thank you for that valley. If I hadn't have learned what I needed to learn, I wouldn't be prepared, or like Coach Dungee, Lord, thank you for closing that door, or I would have never won the Super bowl friends. God knows what he's doing. Every valley has a blessing. There's something to push you forward, something that will be instrumental in you reaching the next level of your destiny. I don't complain about my valleys anymore. I understand this new perspective. This valley wouldn't be here unless it was preparing me for something greater, unless I was gaining something that I'm going to need later on. I've heard the saying trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. We're all going to go through valleys have things we don't understand. Trouble is inevitable, but it's up to us whether or not we get stressed out and let it sour the rest of our life. It's like this man I heard about. He was walking through the neighborhood when he got bitten by a dog. He was so upset. He went to the doctor and they ran some tests. The doctor said, sir, I'm sorry, but this dog has rabies. We're gonna have to give you some shots. Now. He was really upset. The doctor walked out of the room to get some equipment, came back in. He noticed the man was making out a list. He thought he was writing out his will. The doctor kind of laughs said, sir, is not that bad. You're not going to die. The man said, this is not my will, this is a list of all the people that I'm going to bite. What am I saying? When you go through a valley, when you go through things you don't understand, don't go around biting people. Don't let it salary the rest of your life. Remind yourself that is not going to work against you. It's going to work for you. One day you're gonna look back like I did and say what I thought was a value of defeat. I realized now it was a valley of blessing. First King's Chapter twenty, the israel Lights had just defeated the army of ben hey Dad on the top of this mountain. One of his assistants said to him, the Israelites, God is the god of the hills. That's why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them in the valleys, we will certainly defeat them. One version says in the low places. The next spring, been hey Dad attacked the Israelites, but this time in the valley, God said to the Israelites, they think I'm just the God of the mountains and not the God of the valleys. I will help you defeat them to show them that I am the God of both. When we're on the mountain getting good breaks, seeing favor, we know God is with us. Life is good. Sometimes when we're in the valley, we think, God, where are you? Why did this happen to me? Will I ever get out of this trouble? Will I ever get well? Be encouraged. He's not just the God of the mountains, He's the God of the valleys. David's said, He's a very present help in times of trouble. When you're in the valley, God is not far away. He's right there with you, a very present health. Saulmadie Force says, when you go through the valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing, where pools of blessing collect after the rain. On the way to your destiny, there'll be some valleys you'll probably shed some tears, have things you don't understand. But God doesn't waste anything. This is saying God collects every tear that you've shared, and he used those same tears to refresh you. They will become pools of blessing. When David was thirty seven years old, he was about to step into the fullness of his destiny. He had just received his third and final annointing. He found himself at the Valley of Ruffian. Ruffian means giants. Some twenty years earlier, he had old Goliath in that valley, but now he not only faced one Goliath, he faced the Valley of Goliath. The principle, the closer you are to your destiny, the greater the opposition. It may overcome one challenge that's good, but don't be surprised if you face a bigger challenge. That means you're getting closer to your destiny. David and his men went out full of faith, full of courage, and defeated the Philistines. The scripture says that David renamed the valley. Instead of calling it the Valley of Giants the Valley of Ruffian, he renamed it bow Parism. That means the god of the breakthrough. When you face situations that seem impossible, you need to do like David renamed that valley. This is not the value of debt struggle lack. I'm renaming it the Valley of abundance, the valley of promotion, the valley of increase. This is not the valley of cancer, heart dis ease, kidney failure. I'm renaming it the valley of health, the value of wholeness, the valley of victory. Or this may look like the valley of loneliness, lost, disappointment, but I'm renaming it the Valley of breakthroughs, the valley of victory. It's the valley of blessing. Friends, if you'll start renaming your valleys, what was meant to stop you will instead promote you. The reason you're facing the opposition is because, just like David, you're about to step into a new level of your destiny. Don't complain about the valley. Have this new perspective. There's a blessing in that valley. Get your passion back, get your fire back. The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, God is going to turn every valley you face in life to a valley of victory, a valley of health, a valley of abundance, a valley of blessing. In Jesus name, any do you receive it. Can you say then today, we never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's gonna take your places that you've never dreamed. Thank you for listening to the juel OUs Dein podcast. Help us continue to share the message of hope with those all over the world. Visit joel OUs Dein dot com slash give Hope to give a gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.

Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes and thanks so much for being a part of the program today. We love you. If you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in and thank you again for coming out today. I'd like to start with something funny. And one day this young man was talking to God and he said, God, what's a million years like to you? God says, Son, to me, a million years is like one second. He said, well, God, what's a million dollars like to you? He said, Son, a million dollars to me is like one penny to you. I thought about it a moment. He finally got up his courage. He said, God, would you give me a penny? God said sure, just a second, hold up your Bible, say that like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus name, God bless you. I want to talk to you today about the valley of blessing. We all go through difficult times in life and things that we don't understand. When we're in the valley, it's easy to get discouraged and think that it will never get better. Too often we lose our passion. But the scripture talks about the valley of blessing. That seems like a contradiction. We think I can't be in the valley and be blessed in the valley. I'm discouraged dealing with this health issue. These people at work won't treat me right. We see the valley as being negative. As soon as I get out of this situation, I'll have a better attitude. But I've learned God doesn't always remove the valley. He'll bless you in the valley. David said, God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Doesn't say God will remove all my enemies, eliminate everything that's bothered me. Didn't prepare the table. No, in the midst of the trouble, in the midst of the adversity, he prepares the table. He doesn't have to deliver you from it. He can deliver you in it. One time in the scripture, Isaac was in a great famine. Nobody's crops could grow. Land was dry and hard, no water. But he went out and planted his fields, and in the same year he received a onefold return. God didn't have to deliver him from the famine. He blessed him in the midst of the famine. You may be in a valley right now, fighting a battle in your health, in your finances, in a legal situation. God knows how to turn that battle field into your blessing field. Don't complain about the valley. There's a blessing in that valley. It wasn't sent to harm you, It was sent to increase you. You need to get ready. It's not going to stay a valley of defeat. It's about to turn to a valley of victory. What you think is a value of disappointment, loss, heartache. God is going to turn to a valley of new beginnings, a valley of greater fulfillment. Or perhaps you're in a valley of sickness. You could easily be discouraged and settle where you are. Take heart, it's only temporary. It's going to turn to a valley of health, a valley of raiders strength. God has you in the palm of his hand. He promised the number of your days he will fulfill. Don't be fooled by the valley like Isaac. It's about to turn to a valley of breakthroughs, a valley of abundance, a valley of victory. It's a valley of blessing. This is what happened in the Scripture to the people of Judah. They were surrounded by three major armies who were quickly closing in on them. In the natural they didn't have a chance. They were outnumbered ten to one. Jahassa Phat the king. He called everyone together to pray. All these people stood before him, husbands, wives, little children. You can imagine how worried, how concerned their lives were on the line. Jahassa Phat looked up to the heavens. He said, God, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are upon you when you're in the valley. It's okay to be honest. God, I don't see how could ever get out. I don't see how it could get well, how my family could be restored. That's fine, but don't stop there. Do like he did. God, I don't see away, but my eyes are up on you. I know you still have a way. I know nothing's too difficult for you. After he finished praying, a young man spoke up and said, this is what the Lord says. Don't be discouraged by these mighty armies. For the battle is not yours. The battle is the lord's. You may be facing big enemies today, God is saying the same thing. Quit letting it upset you, Quit losing your peace. It's not your battle. It's the Lord's battle. God went on to instruct them that the next day they were to walk towards their enemies. He said, you won't even need to fight. Just take your positions, then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. King Jehosaphat did something interesting. He put the musicians out in front, the singers and the praisers with every step as they walked towards their enemies, they saying the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever. Notice in the valley, they weren't complaining. They weren't saying, we'll never get out, this problem is too big. Why does this happen to us? No, they were singing praises. They were talking about the greatness of their God. They were speaking faith into their future. What you're saying in the valley is extremely important. If you go around saying I'm never gonna get out, Joel, I've got all these problems, always get these bad breaks, then you're going to get stuck. But when you start talking about how great your God is, how no weapon formed against you or prosper how this problem didn't come to stay, it came to pass. I can do all things through Christ. I am more than a conquer When you start talking like that, that's when God show up and make things happen that you could never make happen. When these enemy armies heard all the singing, the shouting, the commotion, they got confused and begin to fight among themselves. They ended up killing each other. When the people of Judah arrived, their enemies were already defeated. They didn't have to lift one finger in their defense. Just like God promised, stand still and He will fight your battles. These enemy armies left so many supplies, so much equipment, valuables, clothing, that it took the people of Judah three days to collect it all. On the fourth day, the scripture says, they stood in the Valley of Blessing and faint God for what he had done. Isn't it interesting? In the place where they had their greatest battles, their most powerful enemies. God didn't call that the valley of opposition, the valley of struggle, the valley of heartache. He called it the valley of blessing. When you face tough times, have this new perspective. That is not the value of defeat. That's the valley of victory. That's not a value to hold you back. It's a value of promotion. It's not a value of sickness. It's a valley of restoration. Maybe, like the people of Judah, what you're facing looks insurmountable. Medical report doesn't look good. You lost your biggest client, Your child won't do what's right. Those enemies may look big, but one touch of God's favor can turn it all around. Don't get discouraged. God has not brought you this far to leave you. Every voice may tell you that's a value of defeat. You're never going to get out, never accomplish your dreams. The good news is you don't have to get out of the valley. God can bless you in the valley. The enemy may have meant it for your harm, but he doesn't have the final say. God does. He says, stand still and I'm gonna show you my goodness. Stay in faith, and I'm going to turn that battle field into your blessing field. What should have defeated you is going to increase you. You're going to come out better. I love the fact it took them three days to gather up all the spoils. Would have been a great victory if God would have just defeated their enemies spared their lives. But God never brings you out the saint. He makes the enemy paid for bringing that trouble into your life. And sometimes we're just hoping to make it through the valley. God help me make it through this dry season at work. But God says, no, I'm gonna turn that valley into a valley of abundance. Bureau football fan, you probably know who Tony Dungie is one of the great coaches of our day. After playing in the league many years, in ninety six, he got his first job as a head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team. He was so excited. Was a dream come true. He told me how he didn't know anyone in that organization, didn't have any special inside contacts, but out of several qualified candidates, they chose him. He knew it was the hand of God opening that door. And for six years everything was going good. They were making more progress, winning more games. But one day, unexpectedly, he was fired. They let him go. He thought, God, I know you gave me this job. I know this was your plan. I don't understand why this has happened to me. He was in the valley. Didn't make sense, but he didn't start complaining. He didn't get bitter. He understood this principle that there's a blessing in every valley. David said in Psalm twenty three, the Lord is my shepherd. He leads me by the still waters, leads me to the green pastures. We like that part of the passage, but a little later it says, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He was saying, the same God that leads you to the green pastures and the still waters sometimes will lead you to the valley. You may not understand it, but if it wasn't going to work for your good, God would have never allowed it. When you face tough times, you have to remind yourself. God would not be leading you to that valley. If that's all there was lost defeat, too bad, you're done. No, there's a purpose for that valley, not to hinder you, but to help you, not to hold you back, but to push you forward, not to weaken you, but to make you stronger. Now the key is our attitude in the valley. If Jahassa fat would have thought, God, I've served you all these years, I've done my best, and now look, these enemies are gonna wipe us out. That's just not right. If he would have been negative, bitter, discouraged, he would have never seen this valley of blessing. Most likely he would have been captured or even killed. Proverbs says the steps of a good person are ordered by the Lord. When you encounter a valley. Sometimes it's not because you've done anything wrong. It's because you're doing something right. God is ready to promote you. But the way he's going to do it is by taking you through the valley of blessing. We think, God, if you're gonna bless me, don't take me down, take me up. You want to promote me, don't let me lose my job. But God's ways are not our ways. They are much bigger. His plan is better than our plan. What I'm saying, don't fight your valleys. Stay encouraged. Every those door, every bad break, everything that didn't work out that valley was not a surprise to God. It's an opportunity for you to go to a higher level. God is directing your steps when you're on the mountaintops, and he's directing your steps even when you're in the valley. And I'm not saying to accept defeat, settled from mediocrity. This is God's plan. Now, I'm saying, when you go through a valley, and we all do, when a door closes, you get a bad medical report, don't get bitter. Don't live with a chip on your shoulder. Start expecting new doors to open. New opportunities, new friendships. God wouldn't have led you there if it wasn't going to work for your good. There's a blessing in that valley. And of course coach Dungee he was disappointed that he lost his job, but he didn't sit around talking about how bad life had treated him. He started thanking God that new doors were going to open. He knew the same God that opened the door in Tampa Bay had now closed that door. The same God that had directed his steps and gave him favor to get that job had now directed his steps away from what he thought was his dream job. He was in the valley. Not long after that, he received a phone call from the Indianapolis Colts football organization. They said, we're looking for a new head coach. Would you be interested. They had a good quarterback named Peyton Manning. He said, I think so. He took that job, and Coach Dungee went on to have incredible success coaching the Colts. They won the Super Bowl, had many other winning seasons. God turned that valley into a valley of victory. Here's the thing. Had God never closed that door, he may not have ever won the Super Bowl. Don't fight your valleys. They're leading you to your greatest victory. In the valleys, we always gain something. We may not like it, but we gain experience, we gain endurance. Our character is being developed. With every victory comes a new level of confidence, something that you'll need later on to go to a higher level. The valleys are getting us prepared. God knows what's in your future. He knows what you're going to need when you're going to need it. Everything happens for a reason. A challenge you face today may not make sense, you may not understand it, but fifteen years from now, because it deposited something in you, you'll be prepared for what you face. God doesn't do anything randomly. He's specific, He's detailed. If the valley wasn't necessary, you wouldn't be there. If that setback, that disappointment wasn't going to add anything to your life, God would have never allowed it. Now, don't try to figure out why it happened. That will only confuse you. Just stay in faith, trust God that he knows what's best, and you can be certain everything that comes your way in life, somehow, some way, God is eventually going to work that to your advantage. When David was a teenager, he went out to face Goliath in the Valley of Elah. Wasn't a coincidence that he was in the valley? We see this principle. Goliath, of course, was much bigger, stronger, had more experience. It looked impossible, like David didn't have a chance, But again we see God turn a valley of defeat into a valley of blessing. David took his slingshot and he knocked Goliath out. David didn't have a sword, so he went over and got goliath sword and finished him off. David came out of that valley not only with more experience, more confidence, more respect, but he came out with the sword of Goliath. Fast forward, years later, David was on the run from King Saul. Saul was jealous of David and trying to kill him. David had to leave in such a hurry that he didn't have time to get his sword. He had no way to protect himself. He ran to the next city, went to the temple, saw some people that he knew. He told them he was on assignment for the king. Asked if they had a sword he could borrow. They said, David, all we have is the sword of Goliath, the Philistine whom you killed in the valley. Notice, something that had happened in the valley was now instrumental to David reaching the next level of his destiny. Had he not gained the sword in the valley, he would have gotten stuck. Friends, God has it all figured out. The valley you faced today may not be for today. It may be for years down the road. But if you didn't learn what you needed to learn, gain what you needed to gain, you wouldn't be prepared for the new levels. Don't complain about the valley. There's a blessing in that valley. Later on you're gonna use the experience, the confidence that sword, so to speak, will be waiting for you. A few years after Victoria and I were married, we moved into a new house and we sold our old house. One day there was a knock on the door. This policeman was standing there. My heart started beating so fast. He smiled and handed me some papers and he said, kind of lightly, somebody must really not like you. I thought, what do you mean, What is this? He said, You've been named in a lawsuit. Well, the people that bought our house were suing over the plumbing. They not only sued us, but they sued the builder, of the architect, real estate agent, the plumber, everybody they could think of. And we knew we weren't at fault. We didn't build a house and the plumbing had worked for us. But for those six months while we were in a lawsuit, I was sick to my stomach. I was so worried. At twenty six years old, I thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. In a few weeks, I was going to have to give my deposition in front of a lawyer and tell them what had happened. I studied, I prepared, found all my documents. I was so nervous, went and gave my deposition. When I was finished, I was so nauseated that I couldn't drive home. Had to have somebody come and pick me up. That seemed like the biggest waste of time and energy to me, so much unnecessary heartache, stress. I didn't see how anything productive could ever come out of that. But in every valley you're gaining something. You may not realize it, but there's a purpose. Thirteen years later, we just acquired this place, the former Compact Center, a company filed a lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in. Now I wasn't dealing with a small plumbing problem. I was dealing with something that was critical to my destiny. When I went to give my deposition in front of a battery of high powered attorneys, I wouldn't the least bit nervous. I was confident. I was prepared. I had experience. I had been there before. I knew exactly what to expect. Like David, that sword was waiting for me. There was a purpose for that valley thirteen years earlier. I didn't see it at the time. I let it stress me out, steal my joy. Now realize it was a valley of blessing. I've learned nothing happens by accident. There's no use getting upset and letting it sour your life. Stand still and you will see the victory. One day, you will look back and see what God was up to. You'll say, like I did, Lord, thank you for that valley. If I hadn't have learned what I needed to learn, I wouldn't be prepared, or like Coach Dungee, Lord, thank you for closing that door, or I would have never won the Super bowl friends. God knows what he's doing. Every valley has a blessing. There's something to push you forward, something that will be instrumental in you reaching the next level of your destiny. I don't complain about my valleys anymore. I understand this new perspective. This valley wouldn't be here unless it was preparing me for something greater, unless I was gaining something that I'm going to need later on. I've heard the saying trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. We're all going to go through valleys have things we don't understand. Trouble is inevitable, but it's up to us whether or not we get stressed out and let it sour the rest of our life. It's like this man I heard about. He was walking through the neighborhood when he got bitten by a dog. He was so upset. He went to the doctor and they ran some tests. The doctor said, sir, I'm sorry, but this dog has rabies. We're gonna have to give you some shots. Now. He was really upset. The doctor walked out of the room to get some equipment, came back in. He noticed the man was making out a list. He thought he was writing out his will. The doctor kind of laughs said, sir, is not that bad. You're not going to die. The man said, this is not my will, this is a list of all the people that I'm going to bite. What am I saying? When you go through a valley, when you go through things you don't understand, don't go around biting people. Don't let it salary the rest of your life. Remind yourself that is not going to work against you. It's going to work for you. One day you're gonna look back like I did and say what I thought was a value of defeat. I realized now it was a valley of blessing. First King's Chapter twenty, the israel Lights had just defeated the army of ben hey Dad on the top of this mountain. One of his assistants said to him, the Israelites, God is the god of the hills. That's why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them in the valleys, we will certainly defeat them. One version says in the low places. The next spring, been hey Dad attacked the Israelites, but this time in the valley, God said to the Israelites, they think I'm just the God of the mountains and not the God of the valleys. I will help you defeat them to show them that I am the God of both. When we're on the mountain getting good breaks, seeing favor, we know God is with us. Life is good. Sometimes when we're in the valley, we think, God, where are you? Why did this happen to me? Will I ever get out of this trouble? Will I ever get well? Be encouraged. He's not just the God of the mountains, He's the God of the valleys. David's said, He's a very present help in times of trouble. When you're in the valley, God is not far away. He's right there with you, a very present health. Saulmadie Force says, when you go through the valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing, where pools of blessing collect after the rain. On the way to your destiny, there'll be some valleys you'll probably shed some tears, have things you don't understand. But God doesn't waste anything. This is saying God collects every tear that you've shared, and he used those same tears to refresh you. They will become pools of blessing. When David was thirty seven years old, he was about to step into the fullness of his destiny. He had just received his third and final annointing. He found himself at the Valley of Ruffian. Ruffian means giants. Some twenty years earlier, he had old Goliath in that valley, but now he not only faced one Goliath, he faced the Valley of Goliath. The principle, the closer you are to your destiny, the greater the opposition. It may overcome one challenge that's good, but don't be surprised if you face a bigger challenge. That means you're getting closer to your destiny. David and his men went out full of faith, full of courage, and defeated the Philistines. The scripture says that David renamed the valley. Instead of calling it the Valley of Giants the Valley of Ruffian, he renamed it bow Parism. That means the god of the breakthrough. When you face situations that seem impossible, you need to do like David renamed that valley. This is not the value of debt struggle lack. I'm renaming it the Valley of abundance, the valley of promotion, the valley of increase. This is not the valley of cancer, heart dis ease, kidney failure. I'm renaming it the valley of health, the value of wholeness, the valley of victory. Or this may look like the valley of loneliness, lost, disappointment, but I'm renaming it the Valley of breakthroughs, the valley of victory. It's the valley of blessing. Friends, if you'll start renaming your valleys, what was meant to stop you will instead promote you. The reason you're facing the opposition is because, just like David, you're about to step into a new level of your destiny. Don't complain about the valley. Have this new perspective. There's a blessing in that valley. Get your passion back, get your fire back. The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, God is going to turn every valley you face in life to a valley of victory, a valley of health, a valley of abundance, a valley of blessing. In Jesus name, any do you receive it. Can you say then today, we never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's gonna take your places that you've never dreamed. Thank you for listening to the juel OUs Dein podcast. Help us continue to share the message of hope with those all over the world. Visit joel OUs Dein dot com slash give Hope to give a gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.