The God of the Hills and Valleys
“Then a man of God came to the king of Israel and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’” 1 Kings 20:28
The enemies of Israel made a grave mistake: they assumed the Lord was limited, a local deity powerful only in the hills but powerless in the valleys. They thought God’s reach had boundaries, that certain seasons or terrains were beyond His control. But God declared otherwise—and proved it decisively by granting victory in the very place they thought He could not prevail.
We often make a similar mistake in our own lives. In the “hills”—those seasons of triumph, healing, provision, or joy—we readily praise God as sovereign. We sing of His power on the mountaintops. But when we descend into the “valleys”—illness, loss, uncertainty, prolonged waiting, or seeming defeat—we can quietly wonder if God is still near, still mighty, still in control there.
Beloved, hear this: Our God is not confined to the hills. He is the God of the valleys too. He is sovereign over every terrain of life. He does not abandon us in the low places; He meets us there, works there, and reveals Himself most powerfully there.
I know this truth personally. When I was fighting terminal cancer, a dear sister sent me a card that read: “God gave you this mountain to show you He can move it.” And He did! In His mercy, He brought deliverance and healing that only He could orchestrate. Yet even as I celebrate that victory, I want to encourage you with something deeper: God doesn’t always remove us from the valley—sometimes He delivers us through it. His best work is often done in the waiting, in the quiet refining, in the steady holding of our hearts when the path is dark and long.
Trust Him in the hills and in the valleys. Trust Him when the battle feels winnable and when it feels impossible. Trust Him in the sudden breakthrough and in the slow, faithful unfolding. Because the same God who declared in those ancient valleys, “You will know that I am the Lord,” is declaring that very promise over your life today. He is with you—every step, every season, every tear, every triumph.
As I reflected on this passage, an old gospel song rose in my heart that captures this truth so well: “God on the Mountain” (written by Tracy Dartt). Let these words from the chorus encourage you today:
May this truth anchor you today: He is with you, and He is enough—for every hill and every valley. Sing it, pray it, believe it. He remains the same God, faithful in every season.
Prayer:
Lord, I praise you because you are the God of the mountains and the valleys. Forgive us for limiting You in our minds, thinking You’re only God of the good times or the easy places. Remind us that You are the unchanging God of the hills and the valleys. Strengthen us to trust You fully, whether You move the mountain quickly or walk us through the valley with steady grace. May Your presence be our comfort, Your power our confidence, and Your timing our hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The enemies of Israel made a grave mistake: they assumed the Lord was limited, a local deity powerful only in the hills but powerless in the valleys. They thought God’s reach had boundaries, that certain seasons or terrains were beyond His control. But God declared otherwise—and proved it decisively by granting victory in the very place they thought He could not prevail.
We often make a similar mistake in our own lives. In the “hills”—those seasons of triumph, healing, provision, or joy—we readily praise God as sovereign. We sing of His power on the mountaintops. But when we descend into the “valleys”—illness, loss, uncertainty, prolonged waiting, or seeming defeat—we can quietly wonder if God is still near, still mighty, still in control there.
Beloved, hear this: Our God is not confined to the hills. He is the God of the valleys too. He is sovereign over every terrain of life. He does not abandon us in the low places; He meets us there, works there, and reveals Himself most powerfully there.
I know this truth personally. When I was fighting terminal cancer, a dear sister sent me a card that read: “God gave you this mountain to show you He can move it.” And He did! In His mercy, He brought deliverance and healing that only He could orchestrate. Yet even as I celebrate that victory, I want to encourage you with something deeper: God doesn’t always remove us from the valley—sometimes He delivers us through it. His best work is often done in the waiting, in the quiet refining, in the steady holding of our hearts when the path is dark and long.
Trust Him in the hills and in the valleys. Trust Him when the battle feels winnable and when it feels impossible. Trust Him in the sudden breakthrough and in the slow, faithful unfolding. Because the same God who declared in those ancient valleys, “You will know that I am the Lord,” is declaring that very promise over your life today. He is with you—every step, every season, every tear, every triumph.
As I reflected on this passage, an old gospel song rose in my heart that captures this truth so well: “God on the Mountain” (written by Tracy Dartt). Let these words from the chorus encourage you today:
Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain
And you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known.
But things change and you’re down in the valley—
Don’t lose faith, child, you’re never alone.
For the God of the mountain is still God in the valley;
When things go wrong, He’ll make them right.
And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times;
The God of the day is still God in the night.
May this truth anchor you today: He is with you, and He is enough—for every hill and every valley. Sing it, pray it, believe it. He remains the same God, faithful in every season.
Prayer:
Lord, I praise you because you are the God of the mountains and the valleys. Forgive us for limiting You in our minds, thinking You’re only God of the good times or the easy places. Remind us that You are the unchanging God of the hills and the valleys. Strengthen us to trust You fully, whether You move the mountain quickly or walk us through the valley with steady grace. May Your presence be our comfort, Your power our confidence, and Your timing our hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.