Luke 8: 22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith?
The disciples had heard the Sermon on the Mount, they had seen the Centurion’s servant healed, the widow’s son raised from the dead, and many other miracles. Yet, when the storm came; they became afraid and cried out in fear to Christ. You have to love the disciples with all their frailties. The Bible has never hidden the truths as they occurred. You and I may look at this and say, "What fools, they were with Him and still had moments of pride, panic and fear?" Yet, we are so much like them. Whenever trials come, we become filled with fears and questions. How many miracles have we seen in our own lives?
So how do we get rid of the fear and tremors when we are facing tough valleys in our lives? How do we find joy, hope, peace and mountaintop experiences while in the valley? The steps I am about to outline are meant for those who know Jesus Christ as the Savior; if you don’t I urge to ask Him into your heart. He took your sins upon Himself and died on the cross so that you might have the chance to be justified. (Declared just as if you had never sinned) Thereby, you are given the opportunity of a personal, intimate relationship with God. Additionally, by accepting Christ, you become the recipient of all of His promises. This, I declare to you is the key to a life abundantly filled with joy no matter what storm surrounds you.
Now I will get back to the steps to take as a Christian when facing a sudden dark valley.
1. Pray. There is power in prayer. Even if you do not know what to say, just sit quietly before God. The Holy Spirit will make intercession for you. Pray even if you are feeling frustrated or angry with God; because He knows already how you are feeling. This prayer is not because God doesn’t know; but it gives Him a moment alone with Him so He can soothe and comfort you.
2. If there is ever a time that you need to be studying your Bible morning and evening or sometimes all day long, it is when facing a valley. It is better to study the Bible everyday, but especially during the valleys you need to increase your time in the word. How can you claim His promises, if you don’t know what they are?
3. Remember every trial (big or small) you have ever been through in the past and remember how God had carried you through. I even suggest writing them down. Trial and across from it the miracle or good change that came about in your heart as a result of the trial. If you have never done this, it may take a moment to reflect backwards and see what good came of each sorrowful moment. Ask God for the wisdom to reveal this to you. You will be amazed at the Grace and Mercy that was etched in the center of that painful trial.
4. Make a list of God’s promises concerning finances, illness, loss or whatever your valley is. Keep those scriptures with you and reread them frequently
5. Find Christian Songs that declare His Might and Power and Love—hum them to your own self throughout the day.
6. Each morning make a list of those things for which you are thankful to God and read them to God.
7. Do not skip meals or do without sleep. Even if you don’t want to eat, do it anyway. If you awaken in the night, pray quietly while taking deep slow breathes—you can hear God’s response clearer when you quiet your own mind. Let yourself drift back to sleep. This is not your moment to diet or deprive yourself of sleep.
8. Neither should you spend all day in bed. Get up and put one foot in front of the other, one step at a time until you do finish that day something you can call an accomplishment—then say “Thank you, Lord for today.
All of these steps I have learned over the years after passing through many trials. True faith, hope, and trust come from seeing God’s faithfulness through the trials. Having seen this fact played out in my own life, should I not now see each trial as a gift of love from God? God so carefully and patiently has been working to remove all my own false securities that I might find security in the only one who keeps me safe in the storms of life. He has ever so gently changed my desires that they might be conformed to His desires. How well He has known me. He knew that I, perhaps like Peter, desired to rely on my own strength or to think too much of myself at times. There have been times when He would allow me to press forward in my own strength only to fail and plummet into self despair before looking up and finding my comfort once more in Him, the only strength or righteousness which could be mine. My boss once told me that he did not understand me because whenever God threw me a curveball, I seemed to catch it and run with it as though a great gift. I told Him that had not always been the case; rather, I have learned through many trials that He is faithful and that He loves me beyond anything I could imagine. It is for that reason I can now trust Him. Perhaps that is why last year as I went in for a major surgery, I had no fear. It proved to be one for which the recovery was more painful than I could have imagined; yet, I saw it through God’s eyes this time. The pain limited my activity, so I finished writing “A Broken and Contrite Heart.” It was a book God had pressed on my heart to write ever since 2005; yet, steadily and slowly He had taught me, sifted me so that I would be ready to write the book. Then, He sat me down for a period of time so that I could do just that. I have learned that when life does not make sense; trust in He who rules the Universe because He is still in control and has a plan of love for me.–Excerpt from "Mountaintop Experiences in the Valley" by me, Effie Darlene Barba published 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh65wLVbaww