When You Walk With the King: Finding Purpose in the Valley

Life has a way of humbling you, doesn’t it? Just when you think you’ve reached your limit, another wave hits. You’re standing firm one moment—“I shall not be moved”—and the next, you’re wondering if you can take another step at all. That’s what this Peaks and Valleys series has been about for me personally: learning to trust that even in the deepest valleys, I’m still walking with the King.

When the Valley Gets Personal

Over the past few months, my family has walked through some difficult days. Between medical tests, trips to Vanderbilt and UAB Children’s, and the stress of waiting for answers, it’s been a season that has stretched us. Things are trending in a positive direction now—thank God—but the journey has been anything but easy.

And yet, in the middle of it, God keeps showing up. He reminds me that walking with the King doesn’t mean avoiding valleys—it means I’m never walking through them alone.

A few days ago, I had one of those moments that God uses to give you perspective. I was coaching our third and fourth-grade volleyball team. We hadn’t won a single game all season—consistent, if nothing else. After the final game, my daughter said, “Let’s go get ice cream.” So, off we went. I pulled up to the McDonald’s window, paid for our cones, and the young lady smiled and said, “Your granddaughters are beautiful.”

Ouch.

You talk about getting kicked when you’re down! But that moment reminded me of something important: we never really know what people are going through. That girl had no idea what kind of week I’d had. And that simple mistake reminded me that sometimes, the people we meet—people who seem fine—are actually standing in a valley of their own.

Samuel’s Valley: When Purpose Feels Lost

In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel finds himself in a similar valley. Saul’s failures as king have left him heartbroken and confused. The passage begins with God saying to him, “How long will you mourn for Saul?” In other words: “Samuel, I’ve given you time to grieve. Now it’s time to get up and move forward.”

That’s not easy to hear when your spirit feels crushed. But God’s message to Samuel is one that He still gives to us today: You can’t live in your valley forever. Get up and walk with Me.

Samuel obeys. God sends him to Bethlehem, where he’ll find and anoint the next king. But Samuel’s fear is real—if Saul finds out, he could be killed. God tells him not to worry: “Just go worship. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Isn’t that like God? He doesn’t always reveal the whole plan. He simply says, “Focus on Me, and I’ll handle what you can’t control.”

So Samuel obeys, and the entire town gathers to worship. But when he arrives, the elders tremble. They ask, “Do you come in peace?” Their first assumption isn’t hope—it’s fear. Saul’s leadership had led the whole nation into a valley, one where even God’s prophet was viewed with suspicion. They’d lost sight of what really mattered: worshiping God above everything else.

Samuel reassures them, “Yes, I’ve come in peace—to sacrifice to the Lord.” In that moment, he finds his purpose again. He’s not there to stir up rebellion or fix the political mess—he’s there to help people focus on God.

When God Looks at the Heart

As the story unfolds, Samuel meets Jesse and his sons. God has told him that one of Jesse’s boys will be the next king. Naturally, when Samuel sees the eldest—strong, tall, confident—he thinks, “Surely this is the one.”

But God says no.

He reminds Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Even after years of serving God, Samuel still needed that reminder. He was still thinking like a man—still assuming that strength, status, and appearance were what made someone fit for God’s purpose. But God had other plans. God was looking for a heart that beat in rhythm with His own.

How often do we make the same mistake? We judge success by appearance—by what we can see and measure. But God’s view is always deeper. He’s not impressed by the things that impress us. He’s after something far greater: a surrendered heart.

Jesse’s Pride and Our Own

Jesse starts parading his sons before Samuel, proud of his family’s strength and appearance. He doesn’t know what Samuel is there for, but it quickly becomes clear that his focus isn’t on worship—it’s on himself.

Paul warns against this very attitude in Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Jesse missed that entirely. And if we’re honest, so do we sometimes.

We live in a culture where pride disguises itself as success. We even turn our blessings into idols. We start worshiping the gifts of God instead of God Himself. The house, the job, the reputation—these things become our focus, and before long, our worship becomes hollow.

But true worship—worship in spirit and truth—isn’t about what we have. It’s about Who we belong to. God doesn’t want mixed motives. He wants undivided hearts.

God’s Purpose Always Stands

When Samuel asks Jesse if he has any more sons, Jesse almost forgets David—the youngest, the least significant, the one left behind to tend the sheep. And yet, that’s the one God chooses.

I love that part of the story. The one everyone overlooked was the one God anointed. The whole town had to stand and wait for David to arrive before anyone could sit down. God made sure that the forgotten one was honored in front of everyone.

Maybe you’ve felt overlooked too—unnoticed, unseen, forgotten. But here’s the truth: God sees you. His timing is perfect, and His purpose for you can’t be buried by anyone else’s opinion or neglect. When it’s time, He’ll bring you from the pasture to the palace, just like He did for David.

And sometimes, the person He sends to help you out of your valley isn’t someone standing on a mountaintop—it’s another person walking through their own valley. God often pairs valley-walkers together to remind us that we’re not alone.

Whose Purpose Are You Living?

As the story closes, one question remains: Whose purpose are you living for?

The people questioned Samuel’s purpose. Jesse was distracted by his own. But God’s purpose stood firm. It always does.

So when you find yourself in a valley—overlooked, misunderstood, or unsure of the next step—remember this: you walk with the King. Stay focused on Him. Because He can turn your valley of obscurity into a platform of purpose.

No matter how low the valley feels, the King walks beside you. And when you walk with the King—you shall not be moved.