Fountain in the Valley

Copyright © 2014 Dr. Yvette Hickman, MD.

Author Credits: Over a Decade in Medical Practice, Board Certified Family Practice Physician, Patients’s Choice Award 2013, Compassionate Doctor Recognition 2012, 2013, Student in The School of the Prophets

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Cover design by Carlon Carter

Contact the Author at P.O. Box 3624, Bessemer, AL 35023

www.doctorhickman.com

Some names of persons mentioned in this book have been changed to protect privacy; any similarity between individuals described in this book to individuals known to readers is purely coincidental.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5595-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5596-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5597-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014918277

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/28/2014

CONTENTS

Dedication

Poem           Dance with my Father

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 Holiness Unto The Lord

Chapter 2 I Am God Of The Hills And God Of The Valleys

Chapter 3 Don’t Miss The Forest For The Trees

Chapter 4 Grace Under Fire

Chapter 5 Don’t Miss The Blessing For The Tears And Fears

Chapter 6 Bitter Or Better

Chapter 7 All Aboard

Chapter 8 Crystal Clear

Chapter 9 Power In The Word

Chapter 10 Fire And Water

Chapter 11 Your Focal Point Determines Your Focus

Chapter 12 Not A Man That He Should Lie

Chapter 13 Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

Chapter 14 Proving Ground

Chapter 15 Fit For Service

Chapter 16 A New Creature

Chapter 17 All The Earth Shall Know

Chapter 18 Bountiful Blessings

Conclusion

Poem           Shoreline

Acknowledgements

Works Cited

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my counselor, The Holy Spirit. I thank God for sustaining me and showing me a Fountain in the Valley.

HE is the Beginning.

ENJOY THE DANCE WITH YOUR FATHER

Enjoy the Dance with Your Father

When you feel anxious, you are trying to take the lead

Let go, Fall Back, and then reassess and redirect

Listen for my beautiful symphony and allow me to reset you back in step

Listen, Watch and pray. Get back in synch.

HOP TO IT!

Respond quickly to my redirection so that you won’t veer so far away from your called Position in Me

Pursue Peace

My peace that surpasses all understanding

Listen for the harmonious music and synchronize your steps to it

If you can no longer hear my music,

You need to refocus, turn down background noise

AND

Come in closer to me

I AM your support but I AM also a gentleman

Only with a gentle nudge as a proper dance partner gives

with his hand in the small of your back

A gentle spiritual nudge to direct you left or right

Don’t let internal noise of Doubt and Self-Pity Drown out

My Beautiful calling for your life

Draw Near to me and I will draw Near to you

COME IN CLOSER AND ENJOY

THE DANCE WITH YOUR FATHER

FOREWORD

I have been a pastor of a local church for over thirty years now. In my role as a pastor, I have seen people at their best and at their worst. Life has a way of taking us to the mountain tops and to the valley lows, but God is our Fountain of Hope in the valley. Life happens to all of us. Most of the time, we have very few problems dealing with the mountain tops. When we are experiencing success in some arena of life, we feel as if we are on top of the world. However, when we encounter valley lows we are tempted to give up and throw in the towel.

Fountain in the Valley offers us some helpful insights on how to navigate through the troubled times that we all face. Dr. Hickman lets us know that the same God on the mountain is our fountain of hope in the valley. It is good to know, when we are going through the trials of life that we are not forsaken by God. However as the author points out in this book, God can transform your trials and times of testing into a testimony. He can also forge a better you through your time in the fire. You will become better if you don’t become bitter.

It is also refreshing to hear the heart of this practicing physician. She has no problem letting the reader know of her personal relationship with God. She, as well as us all, has spent some time in the valley. Her relationship with God sustained her. Her testimony was shaped by many tears and fears but the testing revealed a Fountain in the Valley.

While reading this book my mind reflected on the late Evangelist Oral Roberts. He often spoke of the healing ministry that God called him into. He related how medicine and faith can work together. I see this in Dr. Hickman. She recognizes and discusses her dependency on God as she treats her patients. There is a healthy balance and she respects the role of science as well as her medical training in treating the sick. You will read her story and be blessed and encouraged, just as I was.

Pastor David W. Craig

INTRODUCTION

I realize that it might seem peculiar to some for a physician to write a book on the spiritual aspect of medicine. It might seem odd to many that a medical doctor is discussing the meaning and significance of dreams, visions and prayer as it relates to the practice of medicine. It might alarm others that a scientist is delving into the controversial topic of the ability to hear what God is saying through His Spirit. I am all of the above and a blood bought redeemed practicing Family Physician boldly proclaiming her faith in God. I open my speaking engagements by introducing myself as a Christian, wife, mother and physician in that order. This is who I am and what this book is about. It is the story of God’s miracles, signs and wonders as they have been revealed in my medical practice and in my personal life. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I thank God for every opportunity to be used as His vessel. I fly the Blood stained banner of Jehovah Nissi high above my personal and professional life. It is my firm belief that the practice of medicine is not only a science. It is also a healing art.

The science of medicine has grown leaps and bounds over the last few decades with discoveries and innovations for the good of all mankind. It saddens me though that the healing art of medicine is becoming a lost art. There are ever growing governmentally imposed regulations and quotas. The bottom line gets tighter each year. The art of medicine is being transformed into big business. I purposefully chose to attend a Christian based Residency Program to continue my training after a traditional medical school. In this Christ centered and not money driven model, we not only learned the science of medicine but our curriculum incorporated the Healer. Part of our mandatory reading was Christ the Healer, by F. F. Bosworth. I distinctly remember during my first couple of weeks of residency training as a Family Physician, I was perplexed about why a particular patient was not getting better despite me doing everything the medical literature recommended. The protocol for a doctor in training is to direct any concerns to their attending physician for further instruction and guidance. My attending physician looked me in the eye and asked, Have you prayed with her, yet? I knew then that I was in the right place for my advanced medical training. That question that Dr. Barney Sims asked me as an intern shaped how I practice medicine today.

I have practiced medicine for over a decade. I still strive daily to integrate the art and the science of medicine by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of my patients. I try to educate my community as well, through outreach such as health fairs and speaking engagements on both health and spiritual issues. In the Bible Paul says that we must die daily. We must die to self in order to be used by God. We must die to self-righteousness in order to become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This book is about that breaking process and the beautiful transformation of us His earthen vessels into the beautiful Bride of Christ. It chronicles the spiritual journey to humility and brokenness in order to be fit for the Master’s Service. This body of work was literally born in a dream. I initially thought the vessels in the dream were pots but they were later revealed as earthen vessels. Job 33:15 reads, In a dream a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbering upon the bed then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instructions.

I describe The Fountain in the Valley as a body of work rather than just a book because this project displays several artistic mediums. This is inclusive of the manuscript itself but it features poetry and prophetic art. Prophetic art is divinely inspired images that are drawn or sculpted. The cover is prophetic art depicting the dream that inspired this project. Throughout the book I will discuss things that I heard or saw. Hearing usually refers to the inner, still small voice, of the indwelling Spirit of God. Seeing refers either to a dream, open vision or a vision. A vision is an impression much like a footprint on the sands of your mind. It is similarly quickly washed away by the ocean’s waves. It is a snapshot into the spiritual realm. Visions offer a brief glimpse into the supernatural. I less frequently experience open visions which are vivid and action filled. They are similar to a high definition television show playing in my mind’s eye. Acts 2:17 explains that, And it shall come to pass in the last day, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

The cover of a Fountain in the Valley illustrates people depicted as pots or earthen vessels that through a purifying process are eventually able to release rivers of living water. The manuscript opens with a poem about trusting Our Heavenly Father and allowing Him to lead. It ends with another poem about submitting to the sculpting hands of God. He is The Beginning and The End as described in The Book of Revelation. The middle of the manuscript describes our journey as believers as we submit to allowing God to have His perfect work in us. Author and Evangelical Pastor Ray Stedman said in his sermon Pots, Pressures, and Power that The vessel must be broken. There must be that which grinds down this proud ego within us, this self-expression. As we consent to that, the life of Jesus comes flowing out. Rivers of living water begin to flow from us. I praise God for what He is doing through us His earthen vessels.

I have a medical degree and not one in divinity. I realize that I am not smart or eloquent enough to write many of these things contained in this book unassisted by the Holy Spirit. I acknowledge His divine inspiration for the poems at the beginning and at the end. I give Him credit for the prophetic art that is on the cover and the prose in between. Many times I simply just took notes from what I heard the Spirit of the Lord saying. Proverbs 3:5-7 says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Thank you for going on this journey with me and I pray you be blessed through a Fountain in the Valley.

Dr. Yvette Hickman, MD

CHAPTER 1

HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD

HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD

In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

(Zechariah 14:20)

A call for holiness is going out. A call to worship the ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD in spirit and in truth has been released. There is a call to live for Him, to serve Him, to worship Him and Him alone in your public and private life. A call has been issued to worship the Lord with the same fervency when alone in His presence as when at a corporate worship service. In Matthew 6:5 Jesus warns, And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men verily I say unto you, They have their reward. A call for holiness is going out, and the LORD is asking in this season are you going to answer the call? A form of godliness which is a spirit of religion has crept into many of our worship services and into many of our lives. A call back to holiness is going out. A call has been issued to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The enemy comes to steal, kill and to destroy. His tactic in this season is to attempt to steal the Only True and Living God’s worship. A life of holiness is a life of worship. True worship is when you seek to glorify God in everything you do. Seeking to glorify your God is true worship. You should seek to worship Him in the seemingly menial tasks and the dauntingly large ones. No matter the size of the endeavor all should bring glory to God in the grand scheme of things.

We have all heard and many of us have quoted Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. We many times quote this scripture in faith of God’s provision to us. I pose this question. Shouldn’t all things in our lives, the seemingly small and the big work together for the glory of our God? We are those that love Him and called according to His purpose. Jesus reminds us in John 14:15 that if you love Him then you should keep His commandments. There is a call for holiness on every pot in your home. We should want to be saved and desire the same for everyone in our household. God does not want anyone to be left out. Nothing should be left in the closet. Nothing in our lives should be off limit to His inscription of Holiness. There should be no more little white lies. No one will be untouchable. Both the fine china and the daily use earthen ware will have the inscription Holiness Unto the Lord.

Jesus warns in Luke that when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, that it searches for someplace else to dwell. If the place where it left is still found to be a suitable abode he will not just return but bring seven other spirits even more wicked than the first. We are being warned not to try to sweep anything under the rug nor hide anything in the closet. We should present ourselves wholly as an instrument of Holiness Unto The Lord. A call UNTO HOLINESS is going Out. Warning comes before destruction and obedience is better than sacrifice. Chose to heed the call while there is still time. Submit to the call for He is perfecting His saints. God is working it out for our good and for His glory. One of my favorite sayings is by my former pastor, Bishop Jim Lowe, Life is choice driven. You live or you die by the choices you make. We all have free will. We can choose to answer God’s call or not. It is our choice. But, Joshua says it clearly in Joshua 24:15, choose this day whom you will serve…..But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Deuteronomy 30:19 is also a great summation of this premise, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

One of the lessons that stands out to me from this year long journey, through the explanations and revelations about the dreams of the earthen vessels is that God cares about us as individuals. In addition, He also thinks about us in terms of generations. God declares in Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts Psalm 90:4 explains, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. One day to God is like 1,000 years to us. What a Mighty God we serve. To expound further on these points I would like to share a testimony of a woman, Mary Rose. She had spent many years in counseling and receiving medical care for a drug addiction. She rededicated her life to Christ while attending an evening church service. This wife and mother died in her sleep that same night. Mary Rose had repented many times but fell back into bondage when presented with temptation. While she was yet saved she was welcomed into the arms of Her Savior. God loved her too much to allow her to slip back into the arms of the enemy again.

We sometimes forget that the priority and our main focus should be on eternal life. Saving a soul outweighs saving a life. He is our Rose of Sharon and our Lilly of the Valley. Even when we don’t see it at the time, even when it does not feel good, it truly is working out for the good of those who love Him. A few years after Mary Rose’s death, I had the pleasure of meeting her descendant, Little Miss Sharon Rose. I asked her parents if they had knowingly named her from Song of Solomon 2:1 which reads, I AM the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. The young couple answered no and that it was a family name from Grandma Rose. This was true in two ways. She