--THE VALLEY OF BLESSING~~

"If calamity comes
[we] will cry out to
you in our distress,
and you will hear us."
--(2 Chronicles 20:9)--

--FRENCH ARTIST HENRI MATISSE felt his work in the last years of his life best represented him. During that time he experimented with a new style, creating colorful, large-scale pictures with paper instead of paint. He decorated the walls of his room with these bright images. This was important to him because he had been diagnosed with cancer and was often confined to his bed.

Becoming ill, losing a job, or enduring heartbreak are examples of what some call "being in the valley," where dread overshadows everything else. The people of Judah experienced this when they heard an invading army was approaching (2 CHRON. 20:2-3). Their king prayed, "If calamity comes..[we] will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us" (V.9) God responded, "Go out to face [your] enemies] tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you" (V.17).

When Judah's army arrived at the battlefield, their enemies had already destroyed each other. God's people spent three days collecting the abandoned equipment, clothing, and valuables. Before leaving, they assembled to praise God and named the place "The Valley of Berakah," which means "blessing."

God walks with us through the lowest points in our lives. He can make it possible to discover blessings in the valleys. Jesus said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. You are Mine. I have your name inscribed on the palm of my nail-pierced hand. Stay close to Me."

--GOD IS THE MASTER OF TURNING BURDENS INTO BLESSINGS. ~~

--ODB/JBS~ --/-"I Can Feel You" / Jenn Johnson & Bethel Music
<https://youtu.be/77cwl530Ngg>
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