worshiping in the valleys

Pebble Barling finds worship and thanksgiving in the face of difficult times brings us closer to God and his hope and peace

We sing about praising God and thanking him for his goodness through the valleys and in trials, but it is often not until we find ourselves in these situations that we realise how difficult this can be.

Recently, I was driving down the motorway in thrashing rain, on my way home after seeing my mum, who is currently walking through her own deep valley. I could feel myself getting pulled into the darkness. Crying out to God, I started to look at the situation from a new perspective. What a privilege it is to be able to drive, to be able to have access to a car whenever I need it, to feel its warmth when it is cold, dark and rainy outside. I realised that despite the pain it causes me, I am so grateful that my mum feels able to talk to me about how she feels, when only a few years ago, almost all her anxieties were centred around me.

A few days later, at a worship gathering at church, God reminded me of the verse so commonly read out around Christmas time.

‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned’. (Isaiah 9:2)

Many people feel they are walking through the darkness at the moment, for many different reasons. Maybe the state of our country is causing sadness. Or maybe things happen at work that feel unfair. Maybe God feels distant and unresponsive. Despite all of the brokenness that surrounds us we still have a choice. We can choose to focus on the darkness, or we can see the Great Light.

Jesus promises to walk alongside us in every situation. How amazing is that we have the Creator of the universe, the Defeater of death, celebrating with us on the mountaintop moments and guiding us through the deepest valleys. No matter what situation you are in right now, look for the smallest of lights and praise God for them.

By the end of that car journey, I was singing God’s praises once again. Prayers for miracles still hadn’t been answered, situations hadn’t changed, but my focus was back on the Light. The Light which has given people hope for centuries, the Light for which our only response can be praise.

Pebble Barling is a student studying both paediatric and mental health nursing. She currently serves as a rep on the CMF National Student Council.