Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. (Psalm 37:3).

 

Are you currently experiencing deep valley period in your life?
In the last two weekly Bible insights, we have seen two points to remember while you are in the valley – trust the character of God. Has He ever leave you in the past? No! He will sustain and deliver you this time as well as He did in the past. Even if nobody is there to understand and help you, He will because of His heart and character.
Secondly, we have seen valley is a time we try to makes ourselves hide or shrink to our own bedrooms and solitude. But this is a time you can think and do good to others. You can help others by praying and doing good things for those who are in need. Bible says in Job 42:10, “When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!” His friends talked mean about him though they came to comfort them in his struggles. But in the midst of the hurt and their accusations, he prayed for them. Bible says very clearly when Job prayed for them Lord restored his fortunes. God gave him twice as much as before. Think about this. Valley is a time to do good to others by praying for others and helping others in many different ways. God watches and abundantly blesses right there in the midst of the valley.

Third point – Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.

Now we come to the third point to remember when you are in a valley and that is “dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”
We see God told patriarchs to dwell in the land. Why? Because God knew if they don’t dwell in their promised land, they will face dangers and issues outside of it. The Lord appeared to Isaac specifically instructed him, ” “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.”(Genesis 42:10).
Of course, David and God meant the promised land when they said, “dwell in the land”. We can apply this principle to our promised land. The Lord said to Abraham, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. (Genesis 15:13). Whenever God’s people goes down from the promised land the results would be these – strangers in a country, not their own, enslavement, and mistreatment. Keep this in mind. God’s people are supposed to leave in the promised land and when they step out of the promised land the results can be very dangerous crucial.
What is our application from this phrase “dwell in the land”? For patriarchs, the promised land was the Canaan where God brought them with His out-stretched arms, wonders, and powers. You see, our promised land is Jesus Christ and His Word – Bible. This is where God brought us by His wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in us when we were born again by believing in Christ as our savior. Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1) and the Bible is the written word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). We need both in our valleys and this is our promised land. When Abraham went down to Egypt he had to say lie about his wife Sarah and faced with the severe danger of losing her. When God’s people leave the promised land, it is referred as “going down” in the Bible and never described as “going up”. Going down to estrangement, enslavement, and mistreatment. Due to famine Bible says Elimelech, his wife, and two sons left the promised land and went to Moab. What a severe consequences they had to pay? Not only Elimelech died, but both of his sons also died there. Noami had to return with Ruth (her daughter in law) weeping and crying to the promised land.

Bible records what Boaz said to Ruth when she reached the promised land along with her mother in law. He said, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close with my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” Ruth 2:8-9. Did you notice he said to Ruth, “do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here?” Naomi and Ruth are back to safety now in the promised land in Bethlehem, when they returned back to the promised land!
I have seen many times this sad event-believers leaving their loving Lord, His church and God’s people when some serious valley experiences struck their life. They won’t go to church or associate with God’s people anymore. They say that is enough. I don’t need Christ and church anymore. Dear one, the valley experiences should never allow us to leave our loving Lord, stop going to church and fellowshipping with other God’s children. In fact, instead of valleys driving us out of church and Christ, it should drive us closer and nearer to Christ and make us attending church more frequently than ever before. This is what David is saying here in this psalm- Dwell in the land and never leave your promised land of blessing – Jesus Christ, Word of God and Church in your valleys.

Feed on His faithfulness

As you stay in the promised land, David advises all of us to feed on God’s faithfulness. In the valley, David thought about God’s faithfulness to him many times in the past. This is what we would do as well. Feed on the manifold faithfulness God did in your life in the past. The times in the past God came through and delivered you out from your tough times. In Isaiah 46:9, God says, “Remember the things I have done in the past, For I am God; I am God and there is none like Me.” God gets your attention in valley times. You think why this happened to me? Why not others? etc. Valley is supposed to be a time for deep pondering. Valley is time for reading the Bible and praying more. Let you be alone with God and His eternal word – the Bible. Let God talk to you and you listen to Him patiently regarding what route He is going to take you next. The detours are not always bad. Ponder, think and remember God has done for you in the past. Feed on His faithfulness. There are several incidents to feed.
As humans, we think about food and drink every day at least two or three times. But God has his own heavenly food and drinks to feed us, especially in our valleys. Jesus said to the Samaritan women, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” She had an unstable and dangerous life experiences with five men. Those relationships made her more thirsty only and never satisfied her. But she can get the heavenly drink in the midst of her miserable life. Jesus offered to her so that she would never thirst again for worldly happiness in wrong relationships.
Jesus said this to Devil when He was tempted by Devil, “it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
My friend, do you know you can live by the heavenly bread in your valley times? Deuteronomy 8:3 Bible says, “He (God) humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
We will learn this wonderful truth only in our valley times. Bible says God humbles you, cause you to hunger and then He will feed you with supernatural bread that you or your ancestors had not known. Why? To teach you that man does not live by bread alone. A valuable lesson that we will not learn anywhere else. Jesus quoted this verse from Deuteronomy when He was tempted by the Devil to distrust God’s provisions.
In valley time, make sure you feed on God’s faithfulness- the drink and heavenly bread that He provides. See, in your valley times, there are several attractive worldly feeding places that offer you help and comfort. Don’t be deceived! Such places will only take you to destruction and despair. Make a strong commitment and discipline that you will not go to worldly feeding places to fill the gas for your daily strength and happiness. Makes sure you feed on God’s faithfulness, provisions, drink and heavenly bread. Where will you get this? In the Bible, in and through the indwelling Holy Spirit inside you and from the counsel of God’s children. The Lord will feed you and you make sure you are fed properly. Stay focused on Bible, Christ and true God’s people during your trail times. You will be tempted to leave Christ and Church. Remember if you do, it is only a path of going down to enslavement and danger always. It will never be a path of going up. Going down, down and down again will be the ultimate result. Avoid a trip to Egypt like Abraham and avoid a journey to Moab like Elimelech did.
Stay in the promised land which is Jesus Christ, Bible, and Church. Secondly, feed continuously on God’s faithfulness and allow yourself to be fed by the Bible, Christ, Holy Spirit and God’s true children. This is our promised land and feed on these sources.

If you have never accepted Christ as your savior, Please read this. Christ died for all your sins on the cross and He paid for all your sins so that you can re-establish your friendship and fellowship with God now with a small prayer. Pray after me.

Prayer time: “God, I come to you in prayer. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins, buried and risen from the dead for saving me. I understand I am in a severe valley time. I need your help. I admit I am a sinner and repent about my sins and turn to you now. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, I say on the authority of the Bible that your sins are forgiven and you are now a child of God. Dwell in the promised land of God and His love. Feed on the Bible and you will see how in the coming days how God will turn around your lives for your good and His glory. Please start attending a Bible teaching and preaching church soon. They are there to help you.

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