“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
Psalm 121:1 KJV
I have always liked this verse and have proven it to be true time and time again. When you think about it, if you are looking up to the hills, you are lower than the hills, or in a valley. Isn’t that so true? When we go through a valley or just feel overwhelmed by life or situations, we tend to look a little higher…up toward our help, because we know where it comes from.
I thought about this verse a little different though. The battle of “Mountain vs. Valley” has been a common theme for a long time, usually with the mountain coming out with the win. People associate the mountain with victory or peace and rest. However, when you think about mountains, they are steep, rocky, and difficult to climb. The journey to the top is winding and sometimes dangerous. It is the mountain that causes shadow on the valley.
Then, there is the valley…associated with hard times, disappointments, dark days, etc. I’m not saying that’s not true, but what if we think about it in a different light. The valley is where you see beautiful rivers flowing and lush grass. The valley isn’t necessarily the difficult part of life, it’s the commonplace. It’s the ordinary everyday things and situations. It’s what we are used to. The difficult part of life isn’t the valley; the difficult part is the climb up the mountain. The climb gets hard. There are obstacles to face, split second decisions to be made, and we have to hold on pretty tight. We’re so comfortable with life at the bottom that when God gears us up for a climb, it’s a daunting task. He removes us from what we know and places us in different situations, which are out of our comfort zone. He wants us to navigate the obstacles, obey Him and get a little higher, a little closer to Him.
Anyone who has ever been on a climb up anything knows that when you are in the midst of it, you always look ahead, up. If you look back, you might get scared or discouraged with your progress. The Bible urges us to look up when we are on our climb. There are different, new, and sometimes better things waiting on us at the top. It isn’t until we reach the top that we look out and see where we were that makes us realize how far we came, simply by fixing our eyes “up”. So enjoy life in the valley. Enjoy the beauty of your days there and remember it’s not always a battle down there. But when the Lord asks you to climb, keep your eyes on Him…it will be rough, rocky, and sometimes you might want to give up, but don’t. The view from the top will be worth it! So in my opinion, the battle of “Mountain vs. Valley” is a hands down tie, every time!
