VALLEY OF BLESSING 20:26
[7-minute read]
VALLEYS are low-lying areas situated between elevated landforms like hills and mountains, distinguished by a river or stream flowing through them. Scenically beautiful, they can also be symbolic of difficult circumstances. It's mentioned in Psalms 23:4, assuring us of God’s presence with us in that “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
We only need to extend our focus above the valleys, and a breathtaking mountain top view comes into focus - the complete picture. Hence, the valley experience tells us that what we have to go through now is not the full picture. As such, there is no point in seeking alternative escape routes to avoid the hard knocks, hard decisions, hard responsibilities or hardships in the valley. We have no excuse for living a stunted Christian life; when we go through the valley experience, we will evolve.
When King Jehoshaphat faced a hostile three-nation coalition invasion, he had only 3 RESPONSE that have become actionable insights for us to take home
A CLEAR RESOLVE IN OUR HEART
When gripped by fear in the face of great danger, King Jehoshaphat resolved to consult God first.
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to enquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:3-4). Everyone was involved – from the young to the old, men and women, and people in every township.
What we do at the first sign of trouble is important. It reveals who really is in charge in our lives – God or ourselves. We may try to cover up our actions or inaction with pious sounding excuses but there is an undeniable tone to everything we say whether it is defiance against the Word of God, or a denial of His best. True deference to God involves humility and we evolve in the process.
Similarly, when Daniel found himself standing between a rock and a hard place, he resolved to do what was right before God and took the necessary risks in doing so. (Read Daniel 1:8).
Very openly, the apostle Paul - himself a prolific speaker - gave room for the Holy Spirit to dominate his speeches and teachings: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:2-5).
Procrastination is a tell-tale sign of resistance to God while we vacillate between what God is nudging us to do and our own preference for the status quo.
Here’s a question for you:
What decision or action have you been avoiding that now requires a clear resolve?
A DEEP REFLECTION ON WHO GOD IS
Habitual solitude and silence are good personal disciplines that support deep reflections. Spiritual reflection is not a navel-gazing self-analysis or a moral score-keeping. It is more about meeting God, allowing Him to show us where our actions have grieved the Holy Spirit. Keeping deep reflections on who God is gives us greater clarity about His thoughts, His ways and His will. Those who practise deep reflections earn the rewards of life-changing experiences that reveal who God is to them.
Examine the quality and depth of this reflection from 2 Chronicles 20:6-9. To be sure, these declarations were not King Jehoshaphat’s reminders to God of who He was and what He had done. God never needed to be told what He is capable of. What God did in history, He did for all humanity and so these declarations also have relevance to us and our current situations. When we recite these proclamations of truth, we strengthen our resolve to trust and obey the One who overcomes.
Trusting God takes risks and involves vulnerability. King Jehoshaphat did not pretend otherwise; he did not act strong with God. His self-esteem was intact and he could be extremely transparent with God. Truth is two-way: our honesty with God and His honesty with us. We cannot think that we can manipulate our side of the truth and expect God to come back with a truth that fits our narrative! That is deception.
In full transparency as he “stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard” (v5), King Jehoshaphat prayed, “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
Here’s a question for you:
When you pray and seek the Lord, who is this God you are speaking to?
AN UNFLINCHING RESPONSE TO HIS WORD
God’s strategies and methods are not linear or logical. Often, they can be counterintuitive. God’s instructions to King Jehoshaphat about the advancing armies was simply this, “Tomorrow march down against them… You will not have to fight this battle… Go out to face them tomorrow.”
What? It sounded ludicrous that a nation under threat could just advance towards armed enemies!.
Yet, this was exactly what God told the Israelites through Jahaziel son of Zechariah as he stood in the assembly. “He said: ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”’ (2 Chronicles 20:15-17).
There was no precedent for this type of military strategy, and this would not be a formula for all military success. Jehoshaphat had only one way to trust God – by taking the necessary risks. Yes, the risk of dying, the risk of total failure, the risk of hearing wrong and taking the wrong action. An unflinching response to God’s Word demonstrates total trust in Him in spite of how we feel and what we know.
Here’s a question for you:
Who is in control of your life - your feelings, your knowledge or God?
AMAZING RESULTS
The moment they started to worship, God caused the enemies’ armies to turn on their allies and kill each other. “ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).
Remember the Word of God that was prophesied a day before, “stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Only if they dared to step out and WATCH. We can surmise that if the Israelites had cowered and not stepped out to face their enemies, they – not their enemies – would have been annihiliated.
In the end, this was what victory looked like: “When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked towards the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped…There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.” (2 Chronicles 20:24-25).
When we let God into our Valley of Battles, it will transform into a Valley of Blessings!
If there are ongoing battles inside of you, don’t let them rage on any longer. To be blessed, we cannot avoid facing necessary challenges or pretend they don’t exist simply because we remain silent about them. The longer you waver and sit on the fence, the more defeated you will feel in life.
Also, remember that valleys are rites of passage, not permanent places to be stuck in. Chapter 20:26 of 2 Chronicles closed out the battle story this way, “On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.” It was only a four-day valley experience that the Israelites had to go through. In 2026, take the necessary steps with God to get to the other side of your amazing journey with Him – over and over again!
Whatever it is you face in your valley - personal, mental, relational, circumstantial - keep a clear resolve in your heart, get to a deep reflection of who God is, be unflinching in your response to His Word… and see the amazing change He will bring about.
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 13 November 2025.
