The Valley of Berachah: Living in a Valley of Praise
“The Pause before the Go”: Finding the Presence and Faithfulness of God in Hard Times
Lesson 5: The Valley of Berachah: Living in a Valley of Praise: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
Introduction: Well, spring has “sprung” upon us. Spring is one of the most interesting seasons of the year… It is the time we celebrate and remember Christ’s death, and resurrection and all that means for us as a church and a body of believers. Nature reminds us of the Gospel- how new life and vibrancy comes out of death and despair. Spring is a time of hope and new beginnings, and if you live in Texas- uncertainty as well… Will there be enough rain? Will the temperature be tolerable? Will what we plant grow? Will this COVID-19 crisis ever end? In spring we balance Faith, hope and promise with our doubts and uncertainty knowing that summer, fall and winter will yield the harvest of testimony and fact. Will the harvest yield abundance and thanksgiving or scarcity and despair? These are difficult days. Will the plantings of spring yield fruitfulness in the fall? What firm foundations will hold our Faith in place while growing our hopeful expectation in God keeping His promises over our lives and over His church? I want to suggest to you today that the foundation that holds our Faith and hope for tomorrow in place is PRAISE. Praise of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit- Three in one for all He has done! This Sunday, I invite you on a journey… not a journey to a mountaintop, nor a journey to a decrepit hill outside Jerusalem, or an empty tomb in a garden (believe me those journeys are critically important and well you should focus on them every day!) No, I invite you on a journey into the Valley of Beracah…into a valley of Praise!
For this lesson read 2nd Chronicles 20:1-30…
This is a story out of scripture you might not have heard too often… This is the story of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the praises He and the people sing to God. The interesting thing about this story is not that the people sing praises… They do sing praises to God and they sing them well! So well in fact that a very popular worship song by Chris Tomlin (Forever) is based on scripture out of this story; don’t worry I’m not going to serenade you with it!
With such a joyful song, one that the Nation of Judah sang, it’s got to be a response to some incredibly great thing that God has done right? It’s got to be a praiseworthy response to some great glad tidings and circumstances of the people and Jerusalem right? Wrong… look at verse 2 thru 4. These are ill tidings! This is a crisis, the nation is under a surprise sneak attack from their enemies; times are desperate and uncertain- there is “high anxiety” in the king’s heart. Have you been there before? Are you there now facing the uncertainty of the future, bearing up under the attacks of the world and the Pandemic? What does the King do? He gathers the people together and what (who) do they focus on? There’s our first point: 1. When our Faith is shaken it is PRAISE that will center us on God (look at verses 5 thru 9).
Jehoshaphat seems to less be praying than trying to remind God of who God is, His position, His power, His accomplishments. Why does the King do this? Does God need reminding? Is He forgetful? Does God need His ego stroked? Some people treat praise and worship that way… Some people think we have to convince God to help us; we need to flatter Him to get what we want- folks that’s a pagan’s way of worship, not a Believer’s! Read verse 9 again- this is not a selfish request (though the situation is dire) this is a petition of faith- the King of Judah is showing his trust in God by remembering in praise God’s previous faithfulness. Jehoshaphat is saying, “Hey look, if God can do this for Abraham, for Israel in the past He can do it for us now- God has been faithful! God you are faithful! God you will be faithful! Our circumstances are secondary to your greatness!” An old African-American preacher once said, “Pray stands for: Praise, Repent, Ask and Yield.” Our prayers should be no different- Praise God for His faithfulness First- don’t let your problems be the catalyst for your prayers- simply let the Truth of His glory, His might, His power, His faithfulness and love as displayed thru His Word and your life be the first reason for your praise and remember like Job, sometimes it will be the ONLY reason for your praise!
Now for you pragmatist, and pessimist out there we come to the second reason…2. In the midst of our circumstances and needs praise God (look at verses 10 thru 12). Don’t think for a second that God isn’t interested in your problems, or your battles, or your deliverance- He is! Yet He is interested in it like a loving Father for a small child, not like our equal, in a friend, or a spouse. We can all think of times when our children or a young kid approached us with a problem that seemed completely overwhelming to them, but because we are adults, because we exercise more power, control, experience, and wisdom we know the problem is of little circumstance but we do our best to comfort, and show the child this and that Daddy or Mommy is more than able to take care of it and will do so. It is no different for us before our triune God. Is there any problem you can possibly face that is bigger than God’s ability to deliver you in His timing and in His way?
If you are in trouble look to His strong hands; they created everything that exists, the Bible says they shaped and molded you- in the depths of the earth, in the secret place He saw our unformed being and ordained every one of our days before one of them came to be. But don’t stop there, look from His hands to His strong arms that bore the weight of the sins of the world, and bore your sins so that you might be forgiven. Look from His arms to His shoulders, where the government of His everlasting unshakeable Kingdom lie upon them for all eternity and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against them and from His shoulders look to His beautiful face: filled with infinite wisdom, understanding, and love for you marked in the Gospel plan of transformation, resurrection and complete redemption of all you will ever know (think of that old hymn: Turn your Eyes upon Jesus! Is that God unable to handle any problem?
Listen, you’re going to have times throughout your life that you don’t know what to do- where there is great uncertainty (we’re there now aren’t we?), you will have an unmet need or problem that is beyond any earthly capability for you to meet or solve, the devil will attack you with all the ferocity of the world and threaten to rip you to shreds- and you very well might descend into darkness and at that moment it’s not going to matter what you know or don’t know, what you can do or not do… It’s going to matter whom you turn to, and who and what you put your trust in. As you wait for the night to pass and the storm to ebb whose timeline and sufficiency and faithfulness will you rely upon, yours or His? Jehoshaphat put His and all the people’s trust in God and God took them not to a mountaintop of seeing, nor a hall of knowledge, but to a valley of praise brought to fruition and encouragement from the very mouth of God. Let’s read the rest of the story…
The context of Jehoshaphat’s praise didn’t come from a good situation, but a dire one, it came from a context of faith, of encouragement from the very Word of God to ALL the people from the youngest babe to the eldest adult… which brings us to our final point; 3. True praise shows the context of our faith and will always strengthen our testimony and reveal God’s glory. God told the army of Judah to stand strong, but not to attack (“the battle belongs to the LORD). I don’t know about you, but an army charging at me would make me think it’s a good time to draw a sword, make ready the bow and spear, load the AR-15, call in a B-1 Lancer and a C-130 Gunship strike, but what does the King and all the people do? (“Give Thanks to the LORD for His love endures forever!”) They worship and praise because the context of their Faith was in the LORD Almighty- ferocious in battle and mighty to save! And what is the result? Read verses 27-30 again. The other nations feared the LORD. Folks, you ever thought that the trials, and tribulations, the troubles we have faced as a church, as a nation, as a people are to bring glory and praise to God? Have you ever thought that about the problems in your own lives? What do you do when life doesn’t go your way and nothing makes sense? You PRAISE His name. What do you do when the life harvests of your springtime plantings are uncertain? You PRAISE His name. What do you do when your wife of 62 years passes away in a hospital without you and she hasn’t been home or able to come to church for 8 years and your minister and sons have to deliver the news to you? What do you do when you are alone, when you can’t be physically with the ones you love? You, PRAISE His name… You lift up your hands and voice to heaven and sing for the ultimate battle belongs to the LORD and He is mighty to save!
By His love and faithfulness He will enable you to praise him not only on the mountaintops but in the deep dark valleys of life; He will turn your gloom into the Valley of Beracah: the Valley of Praise. This week would you sing a song, a hymn, a chorus and would you just bow your head and Praise God? Today, I think we all find it difficult to praise God. The circumstances are real and right in front of us. We might think we are on a dreary flat plain, or in a dark valley and we don’t feel like doing anything but crying and sighing, but God can turn that valley into the Valley of Beracah a Valley of Praise in your life! Trust Him with it. Praise Him as you meditate, pray and listen.
Know I am praying for y’all. Know we will be together soon! Know the night will pass. Know God keeps His promises, is faithful and loves you more than you can imagine (Ephesians 3). As you face uncertain times, just like you have faced uncertain times in the past- concentrate on what you know not what you don’t know! Praise is never about what’s uncertain, but what is certain and true about our God that is why we can give thanks in all circumstances! I love y’all and I am only an email away if you need me! dray@wyliebaptist.org.
Yours in Christ: Darrin.