Stay Here: God's Plan to Restore Your Mental HealthSample

The Way is Through

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is one of my favorite books to read to my kids, but its story is actually pretty strange and weird. A mom and dad and their kids and their dog decide to spend the day looking for a bear. (Like, who does that? Don’t ever look for a bear.)

On their journey, they find all these obstacles. Like mud. A river. A snowstorm. A forest. A cave. Tall wavy grass. But every time this family encounters one of these hindrances, they decide they just have to go through it, because they can’t get past it any other way.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt can teach us a lesson or two when it comes to the obstacles that we all experience in our lives. We try to avoid (or ignore) anxiety, depression, sadness, or grief. But the more we try, the bigger they become, at least under the surface. Have you ever experienced that? The more you try to run in the opposite direction, or the more you quote Scripture, or the more you ask God to just deliver you out of your situation, the bigger the problem becomes.

King David even knew this. In Psalm 23:4, he said to God, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (emphasis added). He knew that when he was in the valley, he had to go through it. And just like King David and the family in We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, you have to go through your valleys—through life’s obstacles—too. It’s necessary to get to the mountain.

The beauty of that journey, though, is this: Arriving at the mountain is so much sweeter because God was with you not just in the victory of the mountain but in the pain of the valley.

Let's Be Real

One of the biggest lies we hear in Christianity today is that God is with us only on the mountain. That He’s with us only when the praise is right. Only when we’re fasting and praying. Only when we’re quoting the Scriptures. Only when we’re all full of faith. But God is with us in the valley too.

Why do we believe that lie? Because we’re in a social media generation. We think that just like we show only our highlights to others on social media and network sites like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn, we need to show God only our highlights. We think He doesn’t want to see our pain, our mess, our ugly days. Just like the rest of the world, right?

I’m sure you aren’t posting photos of your dirty laundry or your dirty house on Instagram, are you? No. You guys are fluffing your pillows, making sure your living room’s looking nice and pristine for the background of your selfie. And then ten minutes later, everything looks like junk again.

But God doesn’t want just your highlights. He doesn’t want only your good days. He wants everything. He wants it all. So, let’s throw out the lie that God meets us only on the mountain. The Bible says the arm of the Lord is not too short to save (Isaiah 59:1). Why does His arm need to be long? So that He can reach us in the lowest valley. We’ve got to stop believing that He meets us only on mountain peaks. God met with Moses on the mountain, but His heart was also grieved for the people of Israel when they made an idol of a golden cow and worshipped it. God reached down to them. He loved them too, and he loves you.

Prayer

I give my pain to you, Lord. You are the healer. I give you my sadness, my sorrows. In my sorrows, you are the man of joy, and I trust that laughter and freedom come after this. I thank you for walking with me through this valley and that I’m not alone. You are with me in this place right now.

Jesus, whisper in my ear how much you love me, how you see me, how you know me, how you’re going to bring me through. Reveal your face to me. Reveal your love. Reveal your heart. You bring life where there was death. You bring light where there was darkness. You make all things new. Thank you, Father. Amen.

This plan is adapted from another resource. To view it, click here: Stay Here - Baker Book House