How often do we see people start off with a bang serving God only to see them fizzle like a flash-in-the-pan? Today's My Utmost for His Highest reading offers an insight into the kind of attitude we need to have to avoid this. The scripture reference is 2 Corinthians 3:18:
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Here is a quote from the devotion:
A servant of God must stand so much alone that he never knows he is alone. In the first phases of Christian life disheartenments come, people who used to be lights flicker out, and those who used to stand with us pass away. We have to get so used to it that we never know we are standing alone…. We must build our faith, not on the fading light, but on the light that never fails. When "big" men go we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, the one thing that remains is looking in the face of God for ourselves.
We are never called on to parade our doubts or to express the hidden ecstasies of our life with God. The secret of the worker's life is that he keeps in tune with God all the time.
In short, Oswald Chambers is suggesting we–prepare to be shocked here–keep our eyes focused on God. What a novel idea! Just as the Bible teaches, we shouldn't follow after men or what men believe. We should keep our eyes focused on God and what He wants us to do. That will see us through the valley.
There is a passage somewhere in The Pilgrim's Progress where Christian goes through a valley. I don't have the book infront of me right now, but I should have it posted in my online store soon (it is public domain and will be available for free download).