"As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring;
the rain also covers it with pools."
(Psalm 84: 6, NKJV)
In the lives of most of God's
precious children, hardships do come. They come in many forms. Whether the
difficulty be in seeking employment or in the heartach of losing a loved one.
Trials will come into our lives, either out of our own volition or outside
circumstances beyond our control. They will come uninvited and unwanted. And
they will cause tears due to some form of sorrow.
What we need to remember is,
though the Lord has not promised to help us "out" of our fiery
trials. However, He has promised to help us "through" our trials.
Listen to what He says: "I will
never leave you nor forsake you" (see Josh. 1: 5; Heb. 13: 5). What
comfort this should bring to a weary saint.
Now notice the words "the Valley of Baca Valley of Baca
"What causes
the redeemed of God to shed tears? One reason why believers weep is due to
repentance over sin, either their own sin or someone else's. David wept over
his own sin; Jeremiah wept over Israel
Some trials seem to be endless,
because they have lasted for years, and seem to serve no purpose at all.
Perhaps I am speaking to someone who can relate to this. Concerning such
suffering the Apostle Paul says, "For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Cor. 4: 17). Does not the
words, "pass through" in our text for the day hint at this wonderful
truth! Our trials and tribulations are only transitory. This can be further
confirmed in Psalm 30: 5, "Weeping
may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (NKJV). Though the night of affliction may rage
on; yet, there has to be the first ray of the morning light. The sure promise
of joy to come! The Amplified Bible beautifully translates Psalm 84: 6 to read:
"Passing through the Valley of Weeping
The phrase, "they make it a spring" (see text) is interesting. This
could very well speak of new abundant life resulting from a Christian's sore
trials. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is not indifferent to our sorrows
(see Heb. 4: 15). God takes careful note of each and every tear we cry. Why He
even bottles them and labels them, then He writes them all down in His Book
(see Psalm 56: 8). Only when the timing is right, does our Lord lovingly pour
out the precious mysterious content into our lives from the bottle He has
collected our tears in. Thus, causing the barrenness of our hearts to bubble
and break forth in "springs"
of new life!
Now notice the word
"rain" in our theme text. This little word has a hefty meaning.
William MacDonald comments: "The rain is commonly taken as a type of the
Holy Spirit, and here He is seen in His ministry of refreshment, providing
pools of cool, clear water for the desert traveler."[2]
Now the word "water speaks of the Word of God (as in Eph. 5: 26).
Lastly, notice that the word
"pools" is in the plural. Surely this speaks of more than one pool.
Now what does the word pools simply speak to us of? The footnote in the margin
of my Bible defines the word "pools" to mean "blessings."
Yes, rich abundant blessings for the suffering saint! Note the source of our
blessing. It comes from God the Holy Spirit (the rain).
Remember, it is through such
bitter experiences in life, that we are not the only ones blessed, we also
become a blessing to others! Also, God has given us two specific promises from
Psalm 84. The first promise in our text is, "As
they pass through the Valley
of Baca
Beloved brother and sister in
Christ, I believe that our loving Lord has such deep compassion for the
heartaches we go through , that allegorically speaking, He transforms each of
our tears into precious jewels; then He gently strings them together and places
them around His heart.
In closing, let us ponder for a
moment some encouraging lines from the pen of the Psalmist: "Those who sow in tears shall reap in
joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm
126: 5-6, NKJV).
Shall God's saints linger long,
In the Valley of Weeping?
Shall God's saints lose their song,
For fear that He is sleeping?
Nay, He works His sovereign will,
Though the darkness may hide His Light!
He works with unrelenting skill,
What needs to be put right!
He never loses any sight
Of those in the Valley of Weeping!
He collects our every tear in a bottle,
For our safe keeping!
Though Baca's Valley remains dry,
Refreshing rains are on the way!
Because He hears our every moan and cry!
He comes with a new day!
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