The Valley of Baca …
The Valley of WEEPING
Psalm 84
The
Valley of Weeping is a Special Place for the Followers of JESUS. It is a
place of sweet Companionship with the Savior+ of our souls. It is a
valley where we walk, one at a time, with our hand in His+ Hand… His+
Nail-pierced Hand.
HE+
knows the Way through that valley because, you see, HE+ walked it
before we did. HE+ suffered rejection and loss of family, for even some
of His+ half-brothers did not believe HE+ was the Messiah.
HE+
walked it through slights and taunts and rudeness as the learn-ed ones
who knew The Word did not know HIM+, the Living Word+.
HE+
walked through that dark Valley when HE+ shared Isaiah 61 with the
people HE+ grew up with … who turned on HIM+ in wrath and thrust HIM+ to
the edge of the cliff to throw HIM+ head-long down the ravine.
The
Valley of Weeping was where HE+ laid His+ head. It was where HE+
opened the eyes of the blind and then rescued him from the Temple
Pharisees.
It was where HE+ healed the diseases and yes, where HE+ raised Lazarus with deep groans in the SPIRIT, heard by The FATHER.
What happens to our tears, as we walk through the Valley of Baca, with JESUS ? Listen to the literal Hebrew:
Blessed is the man whose strength
is in THEE+;
in whose heart are the highways,
who passing through the Valley of Baca
make it a fountain;
even with blessings
the early rain covers it.
Our
tears draw us to JESUS HIMSELF+. They water the garden of our heart,
right in the midst of the Valley of Baca. In our heart, you see, is the
Highway to GOD and at times that Highway takes us through that Valley of
Weeping.
But
as we Weep With JESUS, a phenomenal thing occurs. Our tears become a
REFRESHING fountain for others who must walk through the Valley,
sooner or later. Indeed, out of our belly flow RIVERS of LIVING WATERS ! John 7:38.
The
Fountain of our Tears, joined to JESUS, becomes blessings for the
strengthening of others, just like the life-giving early rains for the
production of food for mankind. Indeed, it will POUR forth from the
Fountain of our Soul, rooted in JESUS.
The WORLD cannot give its followers this, in the midst of their sorrows.
Our
LORD and SAVIOR+ JESUS CHRIST can SANCTIFY our trials and sorrow of
heart … and MOST ASSUREDLY does … if we walk Hand in Hand with our
LORD. HE+ wastes nothing that touches our lives. It all is for OUR GOOD
… and for others.
Our
Companionship with HIM+ grows deeper than a lack of sorrow could ever
bring. HE+ brings us to maturity in CHRIST, a maturity that is not
possible to achieve without sorrow and grief and hurt.
No matter WHAT variety of sorrow we face, we have the promise that our SORROW will not last forever… but our joy in JESUS will !
+ + +
Therefore, O LORD,
we praise you even now in the midst of our sorrow,
our hurt, and our weakness.
Yes, we would like this sorrow to lift,
but we know that YOU+, O LORD ,
have no shadow of turning in THEE+.
YOU+ are always constant, the same.
So, help us to stay constant in CHRIST.
Through good times, through sorrow,
let Your+ Light so shine in us before men,
that they may see our good works
and GLORIFY YOU,
O Holy FATHER.
+ + +
