–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!