Mountain High to Valley Low

1 Kings 18-19

7/18/22

I thought I heard one time that Olympic athletes get depressed following their big wins and events. Therefore, I searched to see if I was right. Sure enough, I was. Olympic athletes often ask themselves, "What is next?" (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2016/09/08/493111873/after-going-for-gold-athletes-can-feel-the-post-olympic-blues)

Have you ever asked yourself, "What is next?" after a significant accomplishment? Perhaps you did not win an Olympic medal, but you had a big experience that made you happy, only to find the following days were depressing. What do you do in these moments, and how does God help us respond?

Elijah is known for many things. One thing, in particular, is he became depressed. He not only became depressed, but he also became suicidal. Soon after his mountain-high experience in proving that God is over Baal, Elijah ran away and hid in a cave.

Sometimes mountain-high experiences can lead us straight into the valley low. But we do not have to stay in the valley because God is there to help us climb to the top again.

Today, you may be in the valley. Life will not be easy just because you surrendered to Jesus. We will experience challenging times more than once. The valley is where we learn and grow closer to God. The mountain top is where we praise God for the lessons learned.

Wherever you are right now, use this time to grow closer to God. Learn in the valley and praise on the mountain.