Blessings and the Peace of God be IN you. I recently read these lyrics while preparing our Worship Guide.

“We shall walk through the valley, And the shadow of death. We shall walk through the valley in peace. If Jesus Himself shall be our leader, We shall walk through the valley in PEACE.”

The valley is most often a reference to hard times, dark moments of fear, indecision, loss of certainty and grave indecision. The valley is in the low places of the terrain that surrounds us. What is the terrain that surrounds you these days? As a Race, as a City, State, Nation or how we BE as a man or a woman, young or “seasoned”, happy or sad or in the Valley of MAD, How do you reach the place called PEACE? The song says “If Jesus Himself be our leader… the operative word is IF. The 2 letter word IF can function as CONJUNCTION introducing a conditional clause, meaning, We suppose that or in the event of something or other. “IF” can be used as a noun as a condition or supposition. “IF” gives us options. We can only respond ‘IF’ things work out a certain or specific way.

When it comes down to it, who we follow, charts our course. I guess it depends on our needs and wants. These days we have to be intentional about finding the PEACE in our valleys. I believe when we “come to the Garden Alone, we are visiting the Valley. When we hear a trickling stream it most likely in the Valley. When we see ahead a spear of light through thick forest overhead, like a candle set on a hill in the dark, most likely we are in the Valley. When, how, why, when…how we begin our thoughts and sentences may reveal to us as having a Valley experience. The gain is transforming fear into faith with the bonus gift of experiencing intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit, in the Valley.

No Anxiety No Angst. All Gain. Maybe some pain leaving behind doubt and fear, they’ve been around along time. Faith takes relationship development. If you doubt God, it’s because ……there’s relationship building to do. Spend some time allowing the Holy Spirit to expand your mental and emotional receptors. Mind and Heart. If Jesus Himself shall be our leader, We Shall walk through the valley in PEACE.”



Pr. Orinda