Then [the man] said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the Jordan Valley, where it enters the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will heal the salty waters of the Dead Sea and make them fresh and pure. Everything that touches the water of this river will live….” Ezekiel 47:8 (New Living Translation)
In a vision, Ezekiel was brought to a man who showed him many wondrous things. In Chapter 47, Ezekiel sees a stream flowing from beneath the Temple, passing by the altar and flowing out through the gate in the wall. The man led Ezekiel down the stream which kept getting deeper. At one point, the man reminds Ezekiel of what the land had looked like when they started down the stream. As they start back towards the source of the stream, Ezekiel is amazed to see trees growing on both sides of the water. This is when the man talks about the healing powers of this stream. “Everything that touches the water of this river will live.”
These past few years have been fraught with uncertainty, loss, confusion, and disconnection for many of us. Each year we hoped that things will be better than the last year; but each year seems to be a repeat. Our situation seems to get a bit better, and we take a deep breath, turn around, and something slams into us from an unexpected direction. To make everything worse, it is costing more and more to fix those things that are falling apart. Tempers are becoming frayed, and people don’t seem to have the patience any more to wade through one more disaster!
While punching someone in the nose, kicking someone in the shins, or throwing a major tantrum in Aisle 14 of the local store, seems highly appropriate, it probably won’t help the situation. I have found that Psalm 23 can be of help.
Psalm 23:4 talks about, “Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me!” The image of that valley can help tremendously. Death doesn’t have to be close by, anything that disturbs my peace can be made better. As long as we put one foot in front of the other, we are moving and staying in that valley. If we close down and cause destruction of all that is around us, we start digging a pit. Pits are a lot harder to get out of.
We can take a deep breath and take a step. It doesn’t matter which direction we choose to take, we just have to take a step. The perspective changes with that one step so we can take another step. As long as we are moving, we are staying in that valley. Because God is right there with us, we can talk all we want, telling him how hard this is and how angry we’re becoming. He will nod his understanding and urge us onward.
The thing about valleys is that, at some point, they will open up to a great vista. We’ll be able to see that fabulous stream that Ezekiel talked about – the stream that heals all that it touches. Take a deep breath, keep watching your feet as they move you forward, and tell God everything that’s on your mind. You’ll be amazed at the beauty that you will see stretching before you! We can do this! 2025 might just be our year!
Becky Gillette is a former teacher, newspaper reporter, and preacher who seeks to take an original approach to life’s lessons. She has recently published her first book, Jessie’s Corner: Something To Think About, which is now available for purchase. Based on several lesser-known scriptures from the Bible, this is a collection of articles which she wrote for a weekly newspaper.
