Encouragement from Valley Church

I get the daily emails everyday from Pastor Quentin at Valley Church (where we attend), and I have been meaning to share this one, back from August 14, ever since I got it. I thought it was a really good one and hope you can find encouragement from it too!

I love it when he says that through the darkest valleys and highest peaks, God is there and He knows you.

Scripture

SCRIPTURE    Proverbs 14:10 Each heart knows its  own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

Every Day

IN SOME THINGS, IT'S JUST YOU AND GOD This beautiful, poignant and powerful proverb reveals a simple truth that we all know, but sometimes we don't know how to express it. Every single one of us has certain experiences - good and bad - that no one else truly understands.  "Each hearts knows its own bitterness."  You have had experiences that were really difficult for you.  Perhaps the loss of someone you loved.  Perhaps a crushing disappointment.  A failed relationship.  A terrible injustice.  A broken promise.  A deep regret. You know it.  You've experienced it.  You've felt it... deeply.  But the truth of it is that really no other human being can truly understand it.  Friends may have empathy.  Family may show compassion.  But they can never truly understand it like you do. The flip side is also true.  We've all had those momentous experiences where our hearts soared with incredible joy.  Maybe it was an unexpected gift.  A reunion with a long-lost friend.  The day of your wedding.  The birth of your child.  A smile that you'll never forget.  A day that brought unimaginable joy.  A place where you experienced deep peace. You were there.  You got it.  But as hard as you might try to explain the joy you felt, no one else can really fully enter into that moment.  It's not that they don't care. They just can't be you to experience that particular and singular joy. This proverb reminds us that the deepest sorrows and highest joys are often impossible to fully share with others.  In those moments, whether they bring great pain or great pleasure, you are on your own. But not fully alone.  Because in the highest peaks and darkest valleys, God is there. Though no one else really gets it, he does.  There are some things in life that it's just you and God. And that is not only "ok."  It is good.  It is holy.  It's as it should be.  It's the closest bond between Father and child.  Don't reject that.  Savor that.  Embrace that. He knows you.