NOTE: The below devotion is based on 1 Kings chapter 20. I didn't cite individual references throughout the text as usual, but instead I encourage you to read the entire chapter. It's a great story with a great meaning.

“…Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

                                                               -1 Kings 20:28

During the reign of King Ahab, the nation of Israel came under great attack from Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria. His goal was to rob them of anything valuable, whether it was silver, gold, or even their wives and children. He wanted it all, and was willing to do whatever was necessary to obtain it.

At first, Ahab seemed surprisingly submissive. Not at all known for his valor or good character, we have no record that he even prayed about what to do. He simply told them they could have it, and nearly gave up without a fight. Obviously no less outraged than we would be if our government told a foreign nation to come and take everything we own, the Israelites began to cry out for armed resistance. From their perspective, dying in battle was better than living in shame.

Apparently the pleas of the people were too much for Ahab to ignore, and so He gathered together an army of about 7,000 and went to war instead. With God on their side, they easily defeated their adversaries without the slightest trouble. Yet instead of realizing their fate, Ben-Hadad’s servants came and told him,”…Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” (v. 23)

God’s response in verse 28 (top of the page) was fulfilled, and Israel triumphed over their Assyrian enemies despite the valley they had to go through in order to win. On that day, God proved once and for all that He is not only the God of the mountains, but also God of the valleys.

Like Ben-Hadad, the devil wants to rob you. He wants to steal your joy, your peace, and your salvation – no matter the cost. With this in mind, he gathers together his host of demons and goes to war against the Christian expecting easy victory.

Perhaps his first attempt is unsuccessful. The zeal in your heart is too much for him to conquer, and so he gives up after only a short time and waits until later to strike again. He tells himself that the only reason you won is because you were on a mountain. He reasons further that once you come down into the valley, where it’s dark and lonely, you won’t stand a chance. On this note, he patiently waits for your descent when he will attack again, with even more ferocity than at the first.

The lesson God has for us in these Scriptures is twofold. (1) Valleys are inevitable, and (2) when we get there, we’re going to have to fight some serious battles. But let us remember that the same God who gave His people victory in the midst of unfavorable odds and bleak circumstances, is the very same God Who will be with us through our valleys just as He has been with us on the mountaintops. His grace reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley. He will never leave us nor forsake us.