Valley Refinement
By Anthony Casperson
4-13-24

One of the reasons why I often speak about depression, anxiety, and the difficulties of this life is because of how pervasive certain falsehoods are among the followers of Jesus. Even many who speak against the message of the prosperity gospel will act like there’s something wrong with us if we experience the troubles of life for extended periods of time.

They seem to believe that a never-ending smile is pretty much a necessity to bow before the cross. And that life as a follower of Jesus should be overflowing with sunshine, butterflies, and rainbows. As if depression is just an unlaid burden before the cross. And when we’re feeling crushed by the weight of our problems, that all we need to do is run closer to Jesus. “He’ll get us out of every problem,” they’ll say.

But this perspective forgets that the path into the valley of death-like shadow is just as much a path of righteousness that our Shepherd can lead us down. That difficult road can be the way that God calls right for one of his own, as Psalm 23:3-4 shows those of us who pay attention to it. (And as I’ve written about in my book Hydroponic Spirituality.)

A reminder of this truth that weighs heavily upon me, came to me earlier this week while I was reading another psalm. This one being Psalm 66.

It looks, at first, like this is another song that reminds God’s people about how great he is. But in the middle of the psalm, there are words that are troublesome for the “happy, happy faith” that’s found all too often among those who claim to follow Jesus. Because the words showcase the truth that our difficulties in life can be brought about by God for our growth in righteousness.

And it’s for these troublesome times that the psalmist sings this song of praise to God. Praising God for the trials? How can that be?

Verses 8-9 tell us to praise God. He’s kept our feet from slipping. But then we get to verse 10’s “For.” The reason why we should praise God, like the previous two verses command, is because of what the psalmist is about to say. And that’s because God uses them to test us. Refine us like silver is refined.

Okay, we can get behind that imagery. We like the idea of refinement. Right up until we have to be the ones in it. Because the smelting process—the immense agitation of the metal’s molecules—doesn’t feel good. And we want to get out of that searing container as quickly as possible.

To further remind us of the uncomfortable nature of this difficult path, the psalmist equates the refiner’s fire to: being led into a trap, having a crushing weight laid upon our back, and getting our head run over by a chariot. I don’t know about you, but those all sound like things that I don’t want to experience. It certainly wouldn’t cause me to want to sing the praises of the one who led me to those positions.

Yet this is the very reason why the psalmist is calling us to praise God.

As well, like verse 9 said at its end, God has kept our feet from slipping through these difficulties. We’re kept safe in our God, by the means of the troubles of this life.

The shadowy path isn’t to be run from. It’s a gauntlet meant to refine our faith in our Shepherd. And lead us to the superabundance of good that he has for us. An overflow of holiness that continues to flood into and out of us.

I find it interesting that the word for “abundance/overflow” used in Psalm 66:12 is only found in one other place of the Old Testament. Psalm 23:5. Right back to that same ancient song which has already shown us the truth of God using the path through the valley of death-like shadow to build righteousness in his sheep.

In Psalm 23, we find the “abundance/overflow” word when the sheep’s cup overflows. Right in the midst of the deadly predator’s presence at the same table. It’s because the sheep’s sitting at that table with the lion, the bear, and the wolf that the cup provided by God overflows. It’s because we walk the shadowy path of righteousness down which God leads us that we can have God’s goodness in superabundance.

Difficulties in our lives shouldn’t be run away from, as if the loss of a smile will cost us our faith. No, the grim determination of we who face the shadowy path is just as much one of joy and rejoicing because of the abundance provided by our Shepherd.

Has God called you to the righteous path of the refining valley? Don’t run from it. Don’t run from your Shepherd. Instead, walk through the fire and the water. Walk into the God-set trap. Be crushed by burden. Lay down so that the chariot can run over your head. And rejoice that God has called your faith to be refined in this manner.

The overflowing abundance of God’s goodness is found by those who walk this path.

It might take a while for the superabundance to seen, but it will come. In his eternal Kingdom at the very latest. Rejoice my brothers and sisters along the valley paths. Sing forth his praise. Your Shepherd is leading you to his righteousness.