The Proverbs tells us that we make the plans but God directs our steps. Everything we have ever gone through is not by mistake.  Some experiences were self-inflicted where we stepped out of obedience with God and reaped the consequences for our sin.  Yet some tough experiences that we have gone through were thrust upon us from someone else!  This one is particularly hard for us to take and to understand.  Many of us think to ourselves: "If God loves me and cares about me, why would He allow such things to happen to me?"  That is a tough question and one that deserves to be asked.  Many of us don't understand the sovereigty of God.  Which means that God is in control, and is working all things together for His glory and His purposes. When we go through difficult times and still remain faithful to God it brings Him glory.  Sometimes, God will deliver us FROM something and He will receive glory, and sometimes God will deliver us THROUGH something and receive glory.  God often can prevent bad things from happening, but He chooses not to because there is a greater good involved.  I could give you many examples of this from the Bible, but the point is that we need to relax in the fact that God is working things out.   He never wakes up one morning and says to Himself, "Oh, the world has gotten out of hand, I need to do something."  God has it under control and is accomplishing His purposes throughout the world.

What is your future?  God knows!  He holds the future and He has made a promise to us that He is working things together for "good" and to "give us a future and a hope."  Some may say, wait that promise was for the restoration of Israel how can you apply that to our life?  Because God is not a discriminator of persons and all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus!  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph is your God too!  He loves you just like He loved them.  Were they exempt from struggles, and heart ache and problems?  Of course not, yet God was faithful to them to bring them through and He used them to accomplish His purposes.  It is the same for you and for me.  Will we be exempt from pain and sorrow and trouble?  Probably not!  Yet, God will deliver us through these experiences and accomplish His purposes at the same time giving us a glorious future. 

So for those of you "going through" the valley do not fear.  The Lord is with you, and He will comfort you.  Do not worry how things will turn out, because when it is all said and done, you are going to come forth as a radiant jewel that has been cut, and polished, and prepared to do the will of God and to bring glory to God.  I speak peace to you today in your storm, because the Lord loves you, and He has great plans for you!  He has plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope!.  So cheer up, and anticipate what God is going to do in your life!  I can tell you it is going to be good for those that love Him!