Focus: Encountering God does not mean we will never walk through valleys. This lesson focuses on:
Lamenting, Trust, Repentance, Spiritual Warfare and God's Faithfulness
Featured Psalms: 34, 42, 46, 51, 63
The Psalms teach us what to do when:
The valley is not evidence that God has abandoned you. God can meet you, restore you, defend you, and deepen your faith in the valley.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
"What Do You Do in the Valley?" When life gets difficult, what is your first instinct?
Choose one:
A. Talk to someone
B. Withdraw
C. Pray
D. Try to fix everything myself
E. Distract myself
F. Pretend everything is fine
"Why do you think difficult seasons reveal so much about what we actually believe about God?"
The Psalms teach us that faith does not require pretending that the valley isn't real. Faith learns to find God in the middle of it.
Let’s Review the Psalms:
Psalm 34
Psalm 34 is attributed to David and is connected to the period when David acted insane before Abimelech. (This is traditionally understood and related to 1 Samuel 21.)
David was in danger.
Yet his response was worship:
"I will bless the LORD at all times."This is important because Psalm 34 is not written from a comfortable place. David learned to praise God in the middle of danger.
Psalm 42
Psalm 42 belongs to the collection associated with the sons of Korah. The psalmist is separated from the place of corporate worship and deeply longs for God's presence. He repeatedly asks:
"Why are you cast down, O my soul?"
The psalm demonstrates something remarkable:
The psalmist talks to God about his emotions and talks to his own soul about God.
Psalm 46
Psalm 46 is a song of confidence in God during national and cosmic crisis. The language describes mountains moving, waters roaring, nations raging, and kingdoms falling. Yet the central declaration is: "God is our refuge and strength." The psalm teaches that God's stability is greater than our instability.
Psalm 51
Psalm 51 is David's great prayer of repentance following his sin involving Bathsheba and Uriah. David does not blame circumstances. He does not minimize his sin. He asks God for:
Psalm 51 demonstrates that God's grace does not merely forgive us; it restores us.
Psalm 63
Psalm 63 is attributed to David and is connected with his time in the wilderness of Judah. Again, David is not in a palace. He is in a wilderness. Yet he says: "My soul thirsts for you." The wilderness becomes the place where David discovers that God's presence is more valuable than physical comfort.
CULTURAL BACKGROUND
The Psalms were not written for private reading only. They were songs, prayers, poems, and worship texts used by God's people. Israel's worship included:
Therefore, biblical worship was not simply:
"I feel good about God."
Worship included:
"God, I don't understand this, but I still trust You."
That is the importance of lament.
Lament is not unbelief.
Lament is honest pain brought into the presence of a faithful God.
A biblical lament often moves through:
Pain → Prayer → Perspective → Trust → Praise
The movement is not always immediate, but the Psalms teach us to keep bringing the pain to God.
LITERARY STRUCTURE
The five Psalms can be viewed as five movements:
Psalm 34 — God meets us in fear.
"I sought the LORD, and He answered me."
Psalm 42 — God meets us in spiritual dryness.
"My soul thirsts for God."
Psalm 46 — God meets us in chaos.
"God is our refuge and strength."
Psalm 51 — God meets us in repentance.
"Create in me a clean heart."
Psalm 63 — God meets us in the wilderness.
"My soul thirsts for You."
Together:
Fear → Thirst → Chaos → Sin → Wilderness
And through every valley:
God remains faithful.
Pastor MJ