The God of the Hills and the Valleys

Ahab the king of Israel faced Ben-hadad the king of Syria in what would become a battle concerning whether God was the God of the hills or not. Silver, gold, wives and children are the types of the good things the God of the hills provides (1 Kings 20). The question was thus and still is: Is there a God who provides the good things in this world or are they a result of hard work or are they perhaps a consequence of random selection? God gave the Syrians into Ahab’s hands and demonstrated once and for all that He is the God of the hills. That’s our starting point when we come to Christ. Our inner lamb is lit and through what seems as a battle in our consciousnesses we come out with an understanding that there exists a God who loves us and gives us good things in accordance with His riches.


As me move on we inevitable will come to a new junction where another and more profound question arises. Is God also the God of the valleys? Ben-haded again musters a great multitude and goes against Ahab. This is perhaps the most difficult battle we face. Is God all in all? Will we find Him in the valleys of our lives too? The outcome of this battle is essential for our understanding of God and how He works in our lives. True liberty and the peace of mind which supersedes any outer circumstances hinge on the outcome of this battle. Ben-haded, a type of our soul enemy, thus goes against us with everything he has. The outcome is however settled: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” (1 Kings 20:28)


Even though God gives Ahab a striking victory over the enemy, Ahab doesn’t kill Ben-hadad. As a consequence He is prevented from being a see-througher, a man who sees God only. When we uphold the idea that the enemy still plays a part in our lives, that he is somewhat responsible for our valley experiences we maintain this double vision which causes us unnecessary strain and unrest. God is God of both the hills and the valleys. When we with a single-eye see God only our souls find rest from this world’s travails. God’s objective is to lead us to a place of understanding where we never give the devil any undeserved attention and as a consequence of that attention a spot from where he can influence our lives. In our consciousnesses he is hence rendered as a toothless lion whose roars by and by becomes a distant memory. There is only one God in whom we live, move and have our being. Our Abba is in full control and that goes for every nook and cranny in our lives.