The Valley of Decision

Uni-verse 159/10,000 For better through verse Joel 3 v 14
Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

On this day, 32 years ago I was in the valley of decision when a friend shared the gospel with me relevantly and effectively. The decision I took that day to follow Jesus became the single most important decision I would ever take in my life. That decision transported me from the land of the dead to the land of the living. That day became the day of the Lord in my life. Ever since then He has been the nearest to me even in the valley of death. Israel was both an individual and a nation. Jacob became Israel in the valley of decision when He had an encounter and an experience of God's power and blessing. Similarly, in the valley of decision each one of us become Israel. God encamps with us and resides in us. No longer do we struggle against God or struggle without God. It does not end our struggles. We do have our struggles but we struggle for God and with God. He is with us in all our existential struggles. We have assurance that we have decisive victory through the struggle and decisive triumph at the end of the struggle.

"The day of the Lord" has another meaning in that it is the day of His second coming. Before that day, multitudes or millions of people are waiting to be saved. The nation of Israel itself needs to be saved. We should pray that they give up their blind habit of struggling with God and have an experience of the grace and truth of the Messiah whom they are still waiting for. We should also pray for the multitudes in India. They who are spiritually hungry and are seeking should be fed. Once in a vision the Holy Spirit said," Pray for the salvation of Israel and for millions world-wide who are dying." The valley of decision is also the valley of death. When a person is confronted with the truth, he has the freedom to choose to accept or reject it. Like in the poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," today millions not just “six hundred” are riding not bravely but naively into the valley of death. But, hope is near if only they are willing to follow Jesus.

The vision that Elijah saw of dry bones coming to life are that of spiritually dead people becoming spiritually alive in Christ. When we become spiritually charged, even when people come in contact with us they will come alive spiritually just as a dead body came alive in a cave when it come in contact with Elijah. Every day belongs to the Lord and He is always ready to release such miracles of resurrection in our lives.

Prateep V Philip