–Zane Grey  (Riders of the Purple Sage)

       “I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus.  I will give them fountains of water in the valleys.  In the deserts they will find pools of water.  Rivers fed by springs will flow across the dry, parched ground.”
                    –Isaiah 41:18  (NLT)
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          Down in the valley the valley so low,
          Hang your head over, hear the wind blow…
                    –Jimmie Tarlton (?)

          But the Lord knows I can’t live on the mountain
          So He picked out a valley for me…
                    –Dottie Rambo

     Valleys are unique, as far as symbolism goes.  A valley can mean a place of rest or renewal; it can be the place where life is lived out to the fullest.  However, a valley can also be a place of dread, such as Death Valley, or the valley of the shadow of death.  Perhaps it is like life itself–it depends on the context and perspective.
     Last Sunday, during the song service, I noticed an unfamiliar hymn.  The words stuck in my mind; maybe it was because I grew up in Boulder Valley that the words stood out to me.  It was written in 1880 by William O. Cushing.

          Down in the valley with my Savior I would go,
          Where the flow’rs are blooming and the sweet waters flow;
          Ev’ry-where He leads me I would follow, follow on,
          Walking in His footsteps till the crown to be won.
 
     The lushness of the valley, with the stream flowing through depicts easy and comfortable travel.  It is easy to get caught up in the tranquility of it as the trek is full of flowers with the birds singing their melodious tunes.  Stop, dangle the toes in the stream…ahhh, refreshing; it is so simple to follow Jesus in the valley.

          Down in the valley with my Saviour I would go,
          Where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow;
          With His hand to lead me I will never, never fear,
          Danger cannot fright me if my Lord is near.

     The calmness of the valley can quickly be broken with the crash of lightning and roll of thunder.  The sweet water that flowed so gently is now a raging torrent as the water sweeps down from the hills.  The clouds have brought gloom and darkness, but then, then in the midst of the storm you feel His hand holding a little tighter to yours.  This storm, like all storms, will pass.  There is no fear as we continue to follow Christ through the storm in the valley.

          Down in the valley, or upon the mountain steep,
          Close beside my Savior would my soul ever keep;
          He will keep me safely in the path that He has trod,
          Up to where they gather on the hills of God.

     There’s not a better traveling companion than Jesus.  He keeps us going on the right path and in the right direction.  But, be careful, don’t get complacent, for we travel through the valleys ever onward and upward to the hills of God.  Our determination must be to follow Christ, not to dawdle in the valley.  It must be our life’s quest to follow Him.  Look at the chorus of this hymn, written in the same year by Robert Lowery.

          Follow!  follow!  I will follow Jesus!
          Any-where, ev’ry-where, I will follow on!
          Follow!  Follow!  I will follow Jesus!
          Ev’ry-where, He leads me I will follow on!

They would think he was like who he rode with.”
                    –C. Wayne Winkle  (A Dangerous Beginning)

       “For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
                    –Proverbs 30:33  (NIV)
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(NKJV) Proverbs 3:
          29 — Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
          30 — Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
(ESV)
          29 — Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustinly beside you.
          30 — Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm.

     Perhaps the first question we should ask comes from the mouth of Jesus, “Who is your neighbor?”  Then our answer should correspond to what He expects, for the need is the call.  To devise evil against your neighbor, or to cause harm to another for no reason is out and out treachery.  Have you seen some of the nonsense that is filmed on social media where a person is walking along the street and all of a sudden they are viciously attacked by another just for the sheer pleasure of it?  Imagine walking along, a person walks innocently towards you, and then, unexpectedly he attacks you by slugging you wearing brass knuckles.  That is demonic.  You are helpless to the attack and then he goes along his way laughing while you are on the ground bleeding and nursing a broken jaw.  
     What does your actual neighbor think of you, if you have one.  Or the person sitting next to you at work, or in church?  We should be the kind of trusting neighbors where we would be asked to care for a home if they went out of town.  The type to care for their yard if they were away or incapacitated in some manner.  By doing this our relationship with God is seen in a practical way.  J. Vernon McGee says, “We leave the pathway of faith and trust in God when we take matters into our own hands.”  If there is a problem there are proper and right ways of dealing with them.
     This is a dog-eat-dog world some would say.  No, we are to be friendly–neighborly.  To win friendship with a person for the express reason of doing harm or taking advantage of them is evil.  It is devilish.
     There was a parent at a school where I was the principal.  He was not a bad person, but he and his wife were always causing strife, they were always argumentative.  One day I called the man into my office because as I said, he was a good man.  I asked him how he feels when he is walking down the hallway and a teacher sees  him coming and they head for the restroom or the nearest exit so they do not have to speak or acknowledge you?   He was surprised, shocked really.  To his credit he asked if they really do that and why, so I had the opportunity to teach a little lesson.  There was a change in the man and the situation.  
     Strife brings nothing but misery.  It can continue on for generations affecting each of them until no one knows the reason for the conflict.  We’ve all heard of the famous feud of the Hatfields and the McCoys.  Strife, that went on from generation to generation.  If we say we are Christians and are causing strife, for no reason, we give a false representation of our heavenly Father.  Senseless argument and criticism is destruction and rarely does any good come from it.  Think of the story of Abraham and Lot.
          “Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock…  So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me…'”  (Genesis 13:6-8, NKJV)
Abraham could have demanded by rights the good land, but he graciously allowed Lot to choose, not wanting to cause strife between him and his nephew.  And we know the story continues with Lot choosing the “better” land towards Sodom, but then God opened up His plan for Abraham.  As we go through life we should always try to do good, but we should always try to do no harm.

One learns its way and its life, and moves with care, and never ceases to be wary, for the desert has traps and tricks for the careless.”
                    –Louis L’Amour  (Hondo)

       “For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men.”