英國詩人威廉．古柏（William Cowper）一生飽受憂鬱症的困擾。在一次自殺未遂後，他被送進了精神病院。但在那裡，古柏得到一位基督徒醫生的關懷，因而相信了耶穌，對信仰充滿熱忱。不久，古柏結識了牧師兼讚美詩作者約翰．牛頓（John Newton），牛頓鼓勵古柏一起為他們的教會創作讚美詩集。在古柏所寫的讚美詩中，有一首名為《上主作為何等奧秘》，其中包含了經過淬煉的金石之言：「聖徒應當鼓勇振奮，不怕天空多雲；雲中深藏慈愛憐憫，化為恩雨降臨。」

和古柏一樣，猶大國的百姓也在意想不到的情況下，得見上帝的恩慈。當外族人聯合入侵猶大國的時候，約沙法王召集百姓一同禱告。後來，在猶大軍隊出征時，那走在軍隊前面的人開始頌讚上帝（歷代志下20章21節）。接著，入侵的軍隊竟自相殘殺，甚至「沒有一個逃脫的」。過後，猶大人收取敵人的財物，「因為甚多，直收取了三日」（24-25節）。

在第四天，上帝子民在原先被外族人聚集攻擊的地方稱頌上帝，因此那地方被稱作「比拉迦谷」（26節），字面的意思是「讚美谷」或「稱頌谷」。這是何等巨大的改變！當我們將自己最艱難的低谷交給上帝的時候，上帝的憐憫能將之變成讚美谷！

Poet William Cowper struggled with depression much of his life. After a suicide attempt, he was committed to an asylum. But it was there through the care of a Christian physician that Cowper came to a warm, vital faith in Jesus. Soon afterwards, Cowper became acquainted with pastor and hymnwriter John Newton, who encouraged him to collaborate on a hymnal for their church. Among the hymns Cowper wrote was “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” which contains these words pressed from the crucible of experience: “You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.”

Like Cowper, the people of Judah also met God’s kindness unexpectedly. As an alliance of armies invaded their nation, King Jehoshaphat gathered the people for prayer. As Judah’s army marched out, men in the front ranks praised God (2 Chronicles 20:21). The invading armies turned on themselves, and “no one . . . escaped. . . . There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it” (vv. 24-25).

On the fourth day, the very place where a hostile invading force gathered against God’s people was dubbed the Valley of Berakah (v. 26)—literally, “the valley of praise” or “blessing.” What a change! God’s mercy can turn even our most difficult valleys into places of praise as we give them to Him.