The Valley of Humiliation

Sometimes it takes the convergence of apparently unrelated vectors in life to shake us awake so we can appreciate the reality of our circumstances. In the work-world, I've been giving and receiving advice about how to not just survive but thrive in the corporate environment. Meanwhile, I've fallen behind in my daily reading of Oswald Chamber's devotional "My Utmost for His Highest". This morning, before I rose I read the October 2nd entry "The Place of Humiliation" and it struck a chord, resonating and filling me with truth. I may be in Taipei physically but spiritually, mentally and emotionally I'm walking in the Valley of Humiliation.

I've gotten a little (or extremely) full of myself, thinking I deserve better than what I'm getting. I trust God and I trust God's timing... but why is this situation taking so long to "fix"? Why must I suffer so? Aren't I destined for greatness?

Where is my faith as I survive the mundane? I've fallen into a trap of believing that my faith will enable me to do great things. Instead, I realize now that I should focus on revealing God's glory in the valley, where the real work happens. That's faith. Real faith. Trusting God not because I'm living in a moment of heightened awareness, overwhelmed by the sheer joy of knowing Him but because in the absence of any clear indication of His presence I still know He is here with me.

God doesn't have to prove anything to me and God doesn't owe me anything. Life in the valley of humiliation is what it is: life. We can't serve God's greater purpose without spending time humbly trudging along in the valley. That, my friends, is God's kingdom here on earth. Welcome.