Last week we talked about the Passion of Jesus and it was His passion that kept Him on the cross and it wasn't the 3 nails. We because of Jesus' sacrifice have the opportunity to come into fellowship with Him through salvation, and through salvation we also are brought into the Abrahamic covenant. This covenant still stands today, and that is one of prosperity, blessing, and favor not only for our generation but the generations after us. James 4:2-3 NASB When we come before God and ask we need to make sure our hearts are right. Are we asking for personal gain, or to expand the kingdom of God. God doesn’t want us to lie, steal, and cheat for gain, but He wants us to trust Him, rely on Him, and allow Him to provide and bless us in ways that we can’t imagine.God doesn’t want us to lie, steal, and cheat for gain, but He wants us to trust Him, rely on Him, and allow Him to provide and bless us in ways that we can’t imagine. What must we do during a dry spell in our lives, where we feel like we are in the valley, and far from blessings? Psalm 23:4 NASB We need to ask ourselves how I got in the valley in the first place. How did I wind up in this dark place and what do I do to get out of it. Psalm 23:4 holds revelation on how we get into and how we get out of the valley. We don't stop walking We do not fear (God is with us) We repent (We find comfort and support through correction) The word valley in the Hebrew means gorge from its lofty (high, steep) sides. The root word is derived from a Hebrew word that means - exaltation, arrogance - lifting up, pride. We see that the valley usually comes from a place of sin derived from the in our lives. Because of that sin we do not need to stop walking but continue a different path, when we allow the rod or the correction of the Lord to bring us into a place of repentance. In doing so we have no fear of the darkness around us, and even though He brought us correction, He has given us His staff a walking stick, to give us the support that is needed to see ourselves walkout of this valley back into a place of righteousness. When we allow the of the Holy Spirit to come into our lives, and get us into a place of , God brings us the hope, the assurance, and the means to walk right out of that valley – we got ourselves into in the first place. Pride: doesn't trust anyone, it glorfies oneself, it is steeped in anger due to not getting what it wants. It works closely with envy, jeealousy, hatred, and anger to name a few. will blind your heart and mind to where you will life a lie and not the truth. Jesus said and the truth will set you free. People in pride don’t want to be set free because that means they must put on . will work with fear to get you to do something contrary to the faith walk God wants us to have. It will say do not do it that will never work, or that is a crazy idea. says trust God through this and in the process. God is our only hope during a season of , and He is the only way we can get out of the valley that we are in.