The Bible says:
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider.”
— Ecclesiastes 7: 14 We all have our ups and downs. We’ve all been on the mountain top and down in the valley.
The mountain top speaks of victory, prosperity, and success, with all the joy that it brings. On the mountain top all our problems are beneath our feet because we have triumphed over them.
Being on the mountain top is an indication that we have made the right choices and as a consequence we are at the top of the mountain.
The valley speaks of struggle, darkness, pain, and adversity, with all the frustration that it can bring. In the valley all our problems are over our head because we have yet to triumph over them.
Being in the valley is an indication that we have made the wrong choices and as a consequence we are at the bottom of the mountain.
On the mountain top of prosperity, blessing, and success we are rejoicing over how our right thinking, right choosing, and right actions got us there.
In the valley of adversity we are reviewing and reconsidering our wrong thinking, wrong choosing, and wrong actions that got us there.
We all have a mountain top in view and make plans to ascend it and eventually crest it.
We would all avoid the valley if we could but must go there because our ascent up the mountain always begins in the valley.
The valley is not the end but a means to the end for there we get prepared and make ready for our ascent up the mountain. Someone said, “Winners are not those who never fail, but those who never quit.” In the valley, we change our plan for our ascent by changing our thinking, choices and actions.
The mountain top is not the end for we must never stop progressing whether it be in secular or spiritual things.
There’s always another mountain but before every mountain there always will be a valley where we go to prepare and made ready for our ascent. We can’t go from mountain top to mountain top.
We must go down the mountain to the valley for preparation before we can come out of the valley and ascend the next mountain.
If we want to ascend and crest the mountain, we must make careful and serious preparations in the valley. We should be as interested in the valley and our preparations as we are the mountain we must climb.
James H. Cagle is a Ray City resident who pastored several churches for a total of 11 years. Email him at pastorjameshcagle@ yahoo.com
