SERIES: Christmas Presence
LESSON 01
TITLE: God Is With Us in the Valley
MAIN TEXT: 1 Kings 16:29 - 17:24
God sent Elijah to confront Ahab and his wife Jezebel about their wicked ways, especially their idolatry which was leading the people of Israel astray. As a sign of God’s judgment, God withholds the rain for 3.5 years. All the while, God is taking care of Elijah in the valley near a source of water. God provides for Elijah’s needs in various ways. God never abandons Elijah or leaves him to get by on his own.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me…”
When God came through Christ, the world was in turmoil. Israel was again suffering under the rule of not one, but two oppressive tyrants: King Herod “the Great” and Caesar Augustus. When things seemed at their darkest, God brought the light. When Israel was in a “valley of death,” God gave them his presence in Christ.
The valley doesn’t last forever. The darkness is only temporary. And while God never promises us that we won’t have to go through those dark places and circumstances, he does promise that his presence will be with us no matter what.
