Dweller in the Valley

The word Amalek/Amalekites , means: dweller in the valley.

The Amalekites were the long time enemies of Israel. Exodus 17, Joshua has a war with them, 1 Sam 15 Saul was told to destroy them.

Amalek was the constant hurdle in the way of Israel, sin is our constant hurdle to a true relationship with God. Sins of the flesh can stand in the way of our relationship with God, Only God can deliver us from sin, through our faith. If we do not trust God to deliver us, our sin will prevail. Just like when Moses would lower his arms during the battle with the Amalekites, the Amalekites would prevail.

When we are down in the valley (a low point) of life, our sin will poke us in the side. The valley is where that constant sin will poke the hardest. We must rely on God to help us resist the sin, and bring us out of the valley renewed. To obey God and not sin is better than anything else we can do. So we must “Live by the Spirit” and we can turn away the “Sinful Nature” (Our Amalek) that is constant in our lives.

Memory Verse. Week 9

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”

The cry of my daughter hit my ears Monday evening just 5 minutes after laying her down for bed. “Daddy can you come up here?”. As I pulled myself out of my chair I figured she wanted more water or to get a new book. When I got to her room I was informed that she had broken her Bible cover. Upon inspection ad through tear filled eyes of my daughter I noticed the pink heart that hangs from the zipper of the case was broken off. Her heart was broken. She loves her bible and pink bible case, and I have to say I love that she loves it so much. I assured my daughter that I would do my best to fix the heart on her zipper. (Knowing on the inside I would be fixing her heart.) Ask my wife how determined I was to get the pink heart back on the bible cover zipper. I even went so far as to use pliers on a simple zipper…..

God works to fix our heart. It is broken and hardened by sin and selfishness. And he is determined to fix it. He peruses us at every turn, and uses every tool he can to mend and fix our broken hearts.

My daughter woke up to a mended heart on her Bible cover. It was not as it was before it was most certainly a new creation; it was not like it was when it was brand new. I smiled and was pleased to see her delight and ask, “How did you do that?”. Aren’t we all new creations in Christ Jesus? Our hearts are made new, but bare the healed scars of sin. But oh how God is pleased when we turn to him and he sees our new heart that defeats sin.