You’ve Got To Go Through The Valley To Get To The Vision

we're about to be blessed because God sent a messenger now let me tell you let me tell you something he came because he had to have some a procedure so he came because of his pain but God brought him to provide [Music] relief don't you know that through your pain God can use it to provide relief and so I said oh yeah we got to do this so because he's a special guy this ain't a regular dude it's a special [Music] dude so if you miss [Music] VBS don't worry you'll get that experience right here

right now because God has sent him back so I want ocbf to stand on your feet and giv a a rounding applause applause to myON [Applause] [Music] [Applause] golden thank you brother thank you brother thank you you brother thank you thank you thank you wow thank you thank you thank you praise God thank you so much thank you for that that introduction Pastor Jonathan thank you for that warm welcome bless you praise the lord it's good to see y'all again I didn't have any idea it be this soon but I'm I'm glad about it so

um today on this beautiful Sunday we are going to take a look at a familiar Passage but we're going to look at it through a new lens see if we can't see something we missed last time can I get a [Applause] witness see if we can see if we can see something we missed last time I'm going to read to you a passage that is probably the first passage you ever memorized one of the first passages you've ever learned one of the most familiar passages in the script scripture and there are so many hidden gems

in this passage and the passage that I'm speaking about is the 23rd psalm yes you know it I know it we know it they know it everybody knows it but do we know it so well that we've missed it right has it been so close to us that we couldn't see it well I'm going to read it to you and you let me know what you think here's what it says it says the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in Green Pastures he leadth me beside the Still

Waters he restoreth my soul he leadth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me thou preparest the table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever our father I pray that you would

open our eyes and our mind I pray that you would open our willingness to receive the splendid truth of your word may it guide us lead us Comfort us strengthen us challenge us and make us more like you and we thank you in advance in the name of Yeshua amen amen you know it's really interesting as technology advances it seems like the whole world has gone digital I have a digital watch on my arm it tells the digital time yeah we use digital phones we use digital computers we use digital cameras I even read the

passage from a digital Bible on my digital device but even though it seems like everything in the world is going digital the human mind still thinks an analog the difference between digital and analog is digital is a representation with symbols ones and zeros that represents something but it's not actually a replication of the thing that it represents but analog is a replication it's a picture it's an image and we think in pictures if I say tree you don't think well t r e e if I say man you don't think well m a n if

I see say egg you don't think e g g you picture a tree you picture a man you picture an egg when you say a word we see the picture of the thing in our mind in fact if I say don't think about an elephant you have to think about an elephant to not a picture of an elephant to not think about an elephant and I think what's happened with the 23rd psalm is we have become so familiar with the digital signal of the 23rd psalm that we've missed the analog picture for far too long

we know what the words say but we don't know what the word is saying we know how it sounds but we can't see how it looks and I believe that Davis be David being the artist that he was he was a shepherd He was a king but he was also an artist he played the heart but he was he was also an artist with his words and I believe that David took all of his artistic Acumen that he could muster and in the 23rd psalm he didn't just give us a poem he didn't just give

us a song he didn't just give us words of comfort to quote at a funeral but I believe that he painted a beautiful word picture that can teach us so much about life if we'll take time to slow down and look at each line upon line and I remember one day as I was meditating on this passage of scripture I got down to verse number four where it says y though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil and I found a valley of the shadow of death a

valley of the shadow of death the valley and I thought to myself well what's a valley so I went to the dictionary to look it up and I know you already know what a valley is you wouldn't have to look it up but I wanted to see what the dictionary called a valley and here's what it said it said a valley is a low narrow passageway between two mountains so I started thinking about a valley being a low narrow passageway between two mountains and I realized that if there's a valley in the 23rd psalm there

has to be two mountains in the 23rd psalm now maybe I've never seen them before but I can't unsee them now and I believe that David dipped his word paintbrush into his word pet and he found some of the most beautiful vibrant descriptive colors he could find and he began to paint a beautiful mountain scene with green grass and Still Waters and paths that lead into the way of righteousness and it was so beautiful and he came over to this side of the canvas he said oh I've got an idea for this one he said

I'm going to make I'm going to make make a bigger mountain and he painted a bigger Mountain greener grass Stiller Waters more paths that lead into the way of righteousness and as he stepped back from the picture he knew based on the experiences of his life that something was missing and he walked right up to the middle of the canvas and took the most dismal difficult ugly colors and and painted this grotesque difficult ugly mangled mess right smack dab in the middle of these two mountains and I'm watching him do this in my mind and

I'm thinking to myself David what are you doing you had such a good thing going it was such a beautiful picture and now you've messed the whole thing up and I couldn't understand why why why why would you destroy this beautiful piece of art with this ugly dark difficult Death Valley right smack dab in the middle of it and then I realized that David was showing us that you've got to go through the valley to get to the [Applause] vision and see the first part of this scene that he painted the first thing that he

painted on the first Mountain was it says yay uh the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want and I told the folks in the early service and clearly I'm in the minority here but I'm going to go for it again pray for me when I was a little kid and I learned that 23rd psalm and it said the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want I was so confused CU I thought to myself well if he's my shepherd why don't I want him did anybody else think that yes okay good we got praise

God man I was all by myself this morning y'all I'm home F okay I'm home now and and and I thought but I didn't know that as a little kid that want has two meanings it means I don't want I don't desire but it means I don't want I don't lack I didn't know that want meant lack the Lord is my shepherd I shall not lack and so the first thing that David painted on this picture was he painted a mountain of contentment everything I want is there everything I need is there all the good

stuff is there I am blessed to be blessed on this mountain you may be living there right now I know I've lived there in the past I have I in fact when I was on Mount on this mountain I loved it I was like I could live here for the rest of my natural life this is good the car don't break down on this mountain there's food in the refrigerator on this mountain there's money in the bank on this mountain the relationships are good on this mountain you don't lose your job on this mountain you

don't get sick on this mountain people don't die on this m this is oh this is Mount just enough Mount just enough for me this is the place I'm blessed to be blessed and I love living here in fact I think I'll retire here I think I'll take my vacations here I think I'll have all my experiences right here on Mount Justin but David wasn't done painting when he painted contentment on this mountain he said the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in Green Pastures he didn't just

paint contentment on Mount justtin enough he also painted a picture of comfort we are Comfort seeking beings can I get a witness I have never in my life walked into a shoe store and said I would like the most uncomfortable painful shoes you can find I want them to make my dogs bark I want them to make my feet holl I've never said that can you imagine going to a mattress store they say well how can I help you yeah I want the hardest most uncomfortable matress you got in this St I wanted to wake

me up in the middle of the night ring with pain nobody ever says that no we are Comfort seeking beings and when the psalmist painted Comfort on Mount Justin of now I thought I wanted to stay here for the rest of my life before I know I want to stay here now this is my spot everything always goes my way on Mount just enough and he painted a picture of contentment and comfort and he kept painting he said oh yeah this going this oh yeah this is going to be perfect he leadth me beside the

Still Waters he restoreth my soul and leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake he painted the picture of confidence on Mount just enough see Still Waters are a picture of peace without a restored soul and paths that lead to righteousness are a picture of Peace within I really love Mount just enough Mount just enough for me I like working here I like playing here I like having my family here I like having my friends here I like driving around here I like to go on vacation here I like everything about Mount

just enough Mount just enough for me and I wake up one morning in this beautiful magnificent place that I've been living my life and the sun seems to be shining a little bit brighter today than yesterday the sky seems a little Bluer the birds seem to be happier today than they've been in the past and I look across the way and I see something I've never seen before another mountain higher than this mountain so high in fact it makes this mountain seem like a mole hill am I really on a mountain grass so green it

makes this grass seem dead water so still it makes these Waters seem like a raging sea and in my Bible study in my prayer and in my yielding to the king I hear the call of God say that is where I have for you I put you here but I made you for there well I declare when's the helicopter getting here Lord helicopter oh no no no you can't you can't get to that mountain with a helicopter oh oh you going to send a ski lift for me n we don't do those either elevator m-

escalator uh-uh well that looks pretty high how I supposed to get over there you have to go through the valley to get to the vision I'm giving you a vision today so go pack your things and head down the mountain it's worth it look at that look at that grass look at that water oh I can't wait to get there this is this is this is the place where Joseph was when he had his dream this is the place where David was when he was anointed with oil in the presence of his brother this is

the place where Abram was when God called him away from his kind Kindred away from his country and away from his father's house this is where he stood but when he saw oh oh oh as good as this has been that's way better let's go let let's go start coming down off the mountain and when you get down to the bottom of the mountain and you start walking you realize immediately if not sooner that this Valley is nothing like that mountain I just came from can I get a witness notice what it said yay though

I walk yay though I walk yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil when I was on Mount just enough Mount just enough for me I was lying down and God called me to a higher place but in order for me to get there I had to get stepping and I and I'm walking a a and I'm walking and I'm wearing out shoes and I'm walking and and my feet are getting tired and I'm walking and my corns are kicking in I'm walking and my bunions are

acting up and I'm walking and I realize that the valley is the place of difficulty yeah yeah I I I kind of remember the vision but man this is difficult this is hard and I'm walking and I'm walking and it's so hard and the road seems so long and the trial seems like it will never end you isn't it interesting that over in the Book of James it says my brethren counted all joy when it didn't say my brethren counted all joy if you fall in to diverse Temptations He said count it all joy when

you fall into diverse Temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience but then it says something really really good it says but let let patience have her perfect work what does that mean as soon as you get into trial you're like Lord please deliver me from this trial lord said I just delivered you to that trial let patience have her perfect work I don't like this Valley I think I want to go back to Mount just enough no no no let patience have her perfect work let the trial do in your life

with only the trial can do in your life there are lessons you can learn in the the valley that don't exist on Mount Justina there are relationships that will deepen and develop in the valley that you can't have on Mount Justin enough there's awareness that you will gain in the valley that does not exist for anyone on Mount Jus up and you're in this Valley and and it's so hard yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow shadow shadow shadow shadow H where do Shadows come from what is a shadow well a shadow

is darkness and a shadow is formed when an obstacle comes between you and the light yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death not only is this a place of difficulty this is a place of darkness and darkness brings despair so it's a place of difficulty darkness and despair but it also brings confusion I I don't know which way to go I I I I I used to have this confidence on Mount justtin enough I had contentment on M but now I'm down here in this Valley and I I I'm I

thought it was God that said go over that way but now I'm kind of wondering in doubt if that was really Faith or was I just being hopeful what was it wishful thinking or was it Faith you got to go through the valley to get to div vision and the valley is a difficult place the valley is a place of Darkness that brings Despair and it brings confusion and it brings fear and things go bump in the middle of the night and noises are Amplified in the darkness and anxiety is Multiplied in the darkness man

that was I liked Mount just enough what is this place that I feel like I've been in so long that I can't even remember where I came from and have just a very very very very dim vision of where I'm what is this place I'm in if we were going to give it a name will we call it Death Valley no that's already been taken what would we have to call this Valley I think we'd have to call it the valley of not enough not enough for me yay though I walk through the valley of

the shadow of death there's death in the valley there's the stench of death in the valley there's carcasses there's skeletons there's bones there are predators in the valley yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I've been in this Valley for so long it doesn't feel like I'm ever going to make it through I don't know what I'm going to do pay really close attention to the artist and the picture because when the psus got down in the valley his pronoun changed not in the goofy way people changing pronouns now that

ain't what I'm talking about as I said this morning I'll say it again if you call a rock a tree it is still a rock if you call a boy a girl he is still a boy if you call a man a woman he is still a man if you call a woman a man she is still a woman my how do you know that is in the Bible but his pronoun changed see when he was on Mount justtin enough he was pontificating he was articulating he was prating H he was so verbose on Mount

juston the Lord is my shepherd I shall I want he maketh me to lie down in Green Pastures he leadth me beside the Still Water He restored my soul he does yes he does he leadth me in the paths of righteousness for his name [Applause] sake but when he got down in the valley this brother started talking different he said yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow death he didn't say I'll fear no evil for he is with me he said I will fear no evil for thou art with me he didn't

say his rod and his staff he ComEd me he said no thy rod thy staff they comfort me thou uh thou prepar he said in the valley see here's what happens when you come down off the mountain and go through the valley in order to make it through the valley you got to stop talking about him and start talking to him on the mountain on the mountain I know about God on the mountain I've heard about him I've talked about him but when I got down in the valley I got to know him for who

he is what did job say in P in job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now M eyes seeth thee come on it's a place of death it's a place of Darkness it's a place of difficulty fear confusion dismay disarray I don't know if I'm make it out oh you going to make it out because David didn't say yay though I walk into the valley of the shadow of death he said y though I go through walk through walk through walk through walk through walk through the valley and

yes you might be in the valley right now but you didn't come into the valley to die in the valley you came into the valley to go through the [Applause] [Music] valley and what is this whole valley of not enough thing about anyway can't I just get a helicopter or elevator or ski lift or something all this walking all this difficulty all this Darkness all this death what what what is this about the valley is the place where God gets you ready for what he already has ready for [Music] you the valley is the place

where God prepares you for what he already has prepared prepared for you see because if you went straight from Mount just enough to the bigger Mountain to the mountain where the vision is to the place that God has for you it wouldn't last why because the valley is the place where God makes you strong enough to stay there when you get there Joseph would not have been able to be the Prime Minister had he not been thrown in the pit he wouldn't have been able to be the Prime Minister had he not gone to prison

so you got to go through some stuff to get to your stuff and most people are unwilling to go through what they got to go through to get to what God has called them to don't capitulate to the circumstances of the valley understand you are coming through it and I mean when I got past that last tree that last obstacle that was blocking the light in the valley and I stepped through I was shocked almost out of my mind what am I looking at just hours ago my life felt hopeless just days ago it felt

like it was never going to end just months ago I thought I was going to lose my mind and I step past this tree and I see the most beautiful table setting I've ever seen in my life five course meal all my favorite foods on on it and right smack dab in the middle there's a sign and it says reserved for myON Freddy Golden and as tears fill my eyes I realized that he knew I was coming when I didn't know I was coming he knew I was going to make it when I thought I

wasn't going to make it he knew I was going to be all right when I thought I was going to die in the valley woo this journey through this Valley has been so exhausting I don't have any strength left and I just I feel like I just barely made it out alive and I sit down exhausted and I start to eat and I start to regain my strength and I realized that this new Mountain is a place that was prepared for me before I was prepared for it this is the place that God had prepared

for me when I felt like nothing in my life was working God was working behind the scenes to get my next season ready and I sit down and I eat and I relax and I gain some strength and I sit there just reveling in the goodness of God and all of a sudden I feel something oozing down my face what it what is what what am I sweating it ain't that hot what what this is oil thou anointest my head with oil do you understand the significance of the anointing oil an anointing was when God

revealed your purpose to you and those around [Applause] you an anointing is for an appointing oh by the way did you know that your purpose existed before God showed it to you your purpose existed before God showed it to you God could see you being there when you were over here God could see you being there when you were right here in the [Applause] middle God has never had an anointing that was not for an appointing our problem is we want the appointing to come right after the anointing but God has ordained that there is

a season between the season ofo anointing the anointing where God calls you over here from Mount Justin up before you get to the mounting of appointing and it's called the valley of disappointing why because it's a reoccurring pattern in Scripture that disruption always follows intention why well Satan this is so good God gives us a promise if I just pretend I wrote the word promise on my hand promise he gives us a promise and he puts that promise right in front of our face and we can believe it because if God said it it is

not just true it is truth and God told us that he is the god that cannot lie not that does not lie not that will not lie but cannot lie so if God gives me a promise it is already yes and amen but the same God that gave me the promise ordained that there's an enemy and that enemy has a something for me as well and that's called a problem and when the enemy brings the problem he don't put it over here and he don't put it up here he don't put it behind don't put

it on this side when the enemy brings you a problem he puts it right here I I can't see the Promise no more what I what what I promise what a promise what I what I promise thank you hey if God wants me to focus on the promise why would he ordain that the enemy bring me a problem by the way the enemy doesn't realize that he always works for God what does that mean the scripture says if they knew who he was they would not have crucified the Lord Of Glory they didn't know what

they were on they didn't know they were setting themselves up to tear themselves down why did God ordain that the enemy bring me a problem and put it right here so I can't even see the Promise anymore because the enemy wants you to focus on the problem as if the promises aren't there but God wants us to focus through the problem on the promise as if the problems weren't there but in order to do that you got to go through the valley to get to the vision that's right and so when my head is Anointed

with oil I realize this is not just the place of preparation for me but this is the place of purpose for me I'm walking in my purpose and see a lot of times people resist their purpose because it doesn't look like somebody else's purpose right and see we are born and original but too many people die a copy and and we think we have some competition but there's no like if you are a child of the king or you're one of the king's Kings or one of the kings queens you don't have any competition the

only person who can fulfill your assignment that's ever existed in world history is you you don't have to be jealous of anybody why because that anointing that oil that was on your that was the only one in world history that oil was your oil and then it says Thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over and that word runneth is Perpetual it just runthe that I used to listen to who would say I love to see your brother get a blessing I love to see his cup run over when brother cup runs over

brother saucer gets a little amen see over there on Mount just enough you are blessed to be blessed but over here on Mount what is the name of this mountain oh that's right this must be Mount more than enough Mount more than enough for me and over here I'm not just blessed to be a blessed I'm blessed to be a blessing I don't have enough over here I got more than enough for me over there I could feed my family over here I could feed my family and a couple other families over there I had

enough joy for me but over here I got enough joy to spread Joy over there I had enough encouragement to be encouraged over here I got enough encouragement to be encouraging I'm on Mount more than enough I am blessed to be a blessing I realize that I am not a receptacle I am a conductor over there I was a receptacle I was receiving all the blessings over here I'm just receiving and giving and receiving and giving and receiving and giving and receiving and giving I am blessed to be a blessing I am living on Mount

more than enough Mount more than enough for me beautiful I I thought I like that mountain the valley was so tough I almost forgot Mount just enough but Mount more than enough is so good I done almost forgot the valley and I'm walking around and I'm being blessed and I'm being a blessing and and I'm I'm being used by the Lord and I'm being yielded to God and I'm walking and doing the thing I was created to do and I hear footsteps behind me somebody's following me hey man you follow me well actually I'm following

you who are you and why are you following me well my name is Mr goodness and I've been sent to follow you so that good things follow you and if bad things attempt to get to you I got your sex you see while while you are up here blessed to be a blessing I'm going to watch out make sure the enemy don't give you a sneak attack I'm here to protect you from the amalekites of [Applause] life I'm like okay let's go I'm walking around I got my little bodyguard back here Mr goodness he knows

Kung Fu sorry I couldn't resist I couldn't resist I got Mr goodness back here and all of a sudden I'm walking around Mr goodness back there and I hear him talking Mr goodness who's your friend oh oh oh yeah that's my partner what's his name oh this is Mr mercy so Mr goodness you got my six Mr Mercy what do you do he said well I'm pretty strong and um in case the enemy gets through and knocks you down I've been sent to pick you up I got a devil threat following me uh can I

ask you gentlemen a question just here's the question I have for you y'all going to follow me for the rest of the day Mr goodness says clearly you don't understand how this works what the rest of the week you still don't get it so so how long yall going to follow me surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life all the days the up days and the down days the good days and the tough days the birthdays and the holidays and the anniversary and all the other days all the days

of my life and I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever and [Applause] never I love living on Mount more than enough this is the place that clearly God has ordained for me and I wake up one morning as fate would have it as the Lord would have it yes Sun seems to be shining a little brighter than before the sky seems more blue the birds are happier than I've ever heard birds sing in my life and I look across the way and I see something that I've never seen before another Mountain

bigger than this one greener grass Stiller Waters more paths that lead in the way of righteousness because God is a God of elevation his call is always to a higher plane and he says I know this has been good but Mount more than enough has turned into Mount just enough it's time to go through the valley to get to the next Vision but this time it's going to be different yes sir L because now I realize I got two bodyguards following me and while I'm down here in the dark dismal difficult Death Valley I know

I'm going to be all right cuz I hear this constant conversation between the two who've been sent to follow me all the days of my life and I know this time because I've already learned how to talk to him and stop talking about him I know this time that he's getting me ready for what he already has ready for me I know this time I'm going to make it through I know that when I get past that last tree there's going to be another table it's going to have more food it's going to be a

big spread it's going to strengthen my soul and I will begin to ascend the mountain and then life and I'll realize that life is a series of mountain peaks and valleys low and mountain peaks and valleys low and mountain peaks and valleys low and mountain peaks and valleys low and that is the EB and flow of love life yeah that reminds me that I am on this journey for God and with God isn't this amazing that it's it it it's it's it's such a beautiful analog painting the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want

he make him me to lie down in Green Pastures he leadth me beside the Still Waters he restoreth my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for's Nam sake yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I'll fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me thou preparest the table before me in the presence of my enemies thou anointest my head with oil yes my cup runneth over and runneth over and rth over and rth over and rth over and rth over and

surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever Lord help me never to forget yes that's it that my ways are not your ways sayeth the Lord neither are my thoughts your thoughts for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts never let me forget that I've got to go through the valley to get to the vision father I thank you for your word I thank you that

it is truth I thank you that it can gir us up and strengthen us when we feel weak it can guide us when we feel lost may we never ever forget that we've got to go through the valley to get to the vision heads bowed and eyes still closed let me ask this question who'd say brother Mar man I I'll tell you what I have been on Mount just enough for quite some time and I've been enjoying and I'm going to be honest with you but pray for me that I'll have enough courage that when

God shows me the vision for my life that I will have enough courage to come down off this mountain of content and confidence and comfort and that I'll be willing to go through the valley to get to div Vision anybody like that testify by raised hand praise God I see hands all over the room whoe say brother may yeah I've been on Mount just enough before but I ain't on Mount just enough right now I'm in the Valley of not enough not enough for me I don't know and I feel like I'm not going to

make it but please pray for me because I'm in the Valley of not enough not enough for me please pray for me anybody like that testify by raised hand I see your hands all over this room who would say brother Myan I I I'm I'm not in the valley of not enough I'm not on Mount just enough I'm on Mount more than enough Mount more than enough for me pray for me that God will give me the wisdom to bless those he sent me to bless while he put me in this place where I'm blessed

to be a blessing anybody like that testify by raiseed hand praise God father I thank you for my brothers and sisters they're all over this scene in this room in different places at different times in their lives and I just pray that you would encourage and strengthen and challenge those of us in this room who are on Mount more Mount just enough to be willing to come down off that mountain and go through the valley to get to the vision I pray for those who are in the throws of the darkness and the difficulty and

the death that's in the middle of the valley of not enough I pray that you would encourage them and strengthen them and let them know even though it feels like the end you didn't bring them into this Valley but you brought them through this Valley you brought them into it to bring them through it encourage them strengthen them help them to trust and keep walking and I pray for those on Mount more than enough that you'd help them to have dis discernment and wisdom to be a blessing to those you've sent them to bless and

an encouragement to those you've sent them to encourage and I thank you in advance for what your word will do in our lives in this city in this state in this country in this world and we bless you for it in the name of Yeshua amen