Seeley Swan Pathfinder, Passages, Weekly Newspaper, Seeley Lake, Montana

Highest Hills and Deepest Valleys

By William R. Campbell
Associate Pastor
Mission Bible Fellowship
Seeley Lake

Life is full of hills and valleys. This New Year finds most of us in a valley, and wondering if we are even yet at the bottom of the valley.
My daughter pointed out to me the other day that their Sunday sermon had been on the difference of Christians saying, “We’re praying for you.” and Christians actually doing something positive to relieve stress, such as providing food or assisting in some other concrete way.
I had not thought about it, but often when I say something like, “I’m praying for you” or “Many people are worse off than you are,” it affords little or no comfort to someone who is in one of those deep valleys.
The Apostle Paul pointed out in Acts 20:12 that, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Neil Orchard wrote that he once talked with a farmer about his corn and soybean crops. “Rain had been abundant, and the results were evident. So his comments surprised me, ‘My crops are especially vulnerable. Even a short drought could have a devastating effect.’ ‘Why,’ I asked. He explained that while we see frequent rains as a benefit, during that time the plants are not required to push roots deeper in search of water. The roots remain near the surface. A drought would find the plants unprepared and quickly kill them.”
Some Christians receive abundant “rains” of worship, fellowship and teaching. Yet when stress enters their lives, during one of these valleys which life inevitably offers up, many suddenly abandon God or think him unfaithful. Their roots have never pushed much below the surface. Only roots grown deep into God (Col. 2:6,7) help us endure times of drought in our lives.
The Apostle John is quoted in 1 John 3:17, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in Him?” And he goes on to say, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
By actually providing food or some other form of real assistance to a person in need you will find that their roots, as well as your own, are pushed deeper.
Let’s not just say we care…Let’s show it!

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		Passages - January 15, 2009
		Highest Hills and Deepest Valleys By William R. Campbell Associate Pastor Mission Bible Fellowship Seeley Lake Life is full of hills and valleys. This New Year finds most of us in a valley, and wondering if we are even yet at the bottom of the valley. My daughter pointed out to me the other day that their Sunday sermon had been on the difference of Christians saying, “We’re praying for you.” and Christians actually doing something positive to relieve stress, such as providing food or assisting in some other concrete way. I had not thought about it, but often when I say something like, “I’m praying for you” or “Many people are worse off than you are,” it affords little or no comfort to someone who is in one of those deep valleys. The Apostle Paul pointed out in Acts 20:12 that, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Neil Orchard wrote that he once talked with a farmer about his corn and soybean crops. “Rain had been abundant, and the results were evident. So his comments surprised me, ‘My crops are especially vulnerable. Even a short drought could have a devastating effect.’ ‘Why,’ I asked. He explained that while we see frequent rains as a benefit, during that time the plants are not required to push roots deeper in search of water. The roots remain near the surface. A drought would find the plants unprepared and quickly kill them.” Some Christians receive abundant “rains” of worship, fellowship and teaching. Yet when stress enters their lives, during one of these valleys which life inevitably offers up, many suddenly abandon God or think him unfaithful. Their roots have never pushed much below the surface. Only roots grown deep into God (Col. 2:6,7) help us endure times of drought in our lives. The Apostle John is quoted in 1 John 3:17, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in Him?” And he goes on to say, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” By actually providing food or some other form of real assistance to a person in need you will find that their roots, as well as your own, are pushed deeper. Let’s not just say we care…Let’s show it! Back
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