“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” Psalm 84:5-7
It is believed that David wrote this Psalm when he had fled Jerusalem because of Absalom’s rebellion. He is longing to be back in Jerusalem to spend time in the house of the Lord. It seems like he envies the birds who have made their nests in its shelter, and the priests who daily minister in its courts. He realizes that everyone faces valleys or difficult places in their lives, but those who find their strength in God are blessed.
In Verse 11 and 12, he expresses his trust in God:
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.”
Those who love and serve the Lord are not sheltered from struggles and difficult times. Often, the Lord allows us to go through trials and suffering to teach us and to bring us to the place He wants us to be. As we seek His face and trust Him, He gives us the strength that we need to overcome.
Perhaps the valley of Baca refers to a time of suffering, and this scripture tells us that we can turn it into a place of blessing. Often God will lead us to minister to others who are facing some of the same experiences that we have gone through. Because we have proved that God is faithful, we can encourage them to trust the Lord with their battles.
The Psalms contain so many great promises that encourage us to trust the Lord no matter what we are experiencing.
Psalm 27:13-14 “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Psalm 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
It is easy to give thanks and praise to the Lord for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. But we also need to be thankful for the valleys that He has allowed us to walk through, and for the strength that He has given.
If you are going through a valley today, remember that the Lord sees you, and will never leave you nor forsake you. Victory awaits if you trust Him fully.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the many blessings that we have received, and we thank you for the valleys you have brought us through. Help us to use those experiences to bless others.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
2 Comments
This verse was also in my daily Scripture writing. Thank you for ministering to me through this. We are trying to get to the city of our calling and the housing market is preventing us from buying. BUT GOD… we are set up for a miracle that only God can accomplish. He always keeps his promises. We are waiting on him to show us HIS WAY! Thank you!!
I pray that the Lord will work things out for you. Although we do not always understand His delays, He is working all things together for our good. He is a Miracle-working God.