Psalm 84.

This has been a week of tragedy, hurt, and brokenness. Sunday some very close family friends and my school community lost a beautiful sweet spirit that touched a countless number of lives over her years of teaching and serving others.  Thursday Moore, OK was struck with another tragedy as an innocent life was lost in what some would classify as domestic terrorism. Friday night the NCTC softball team was involved in a tragic accident that took the lives of four more beautiful girls and today a school, family, friends, and a community are again in mourning.

It's in moments like these where we are reminded of the fragility of life and I often wonder how anyone faces the days, weeks, and months ahead without the hope of eternity that comes only from our Lord Jesus. Some will most certainly cry out at the unfairness of the weeks events and question how a loving God could allow terrible tragedies like this to occur. But please remember that when the hurt and pain, the tears and the suffering is overwhelming, the only hope we have is to cling to the unending love and eternal life provided through our precious Jesus.

Several weeks ago, God brought Psalm 84 to my mind as an idea for a blog post. I had a number of different things on my mind at that time and never sat down to write the post. This morning as I was thinking back over the week, God once again brought Psalm 84 to my mind.

1 How lovely are Your dwelling places O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are  those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart  are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring, the early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! 9 Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather  stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wickedness. 11 for the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!

I love these verses for so many reasons. This particular Psalm was written as a pilgrims psalm for the people describing their longing and the journey to the temple in Jerusalem. Today, I think it speaks to us and our eternal longing to be in the courts of the Lord most high.  In these difficult times, I'm drawn to the hope and reassurance of these verses.  For the pilgrims going to Jerusalem, they knew the destination of their journey. They knew that they were journeying to the Lord's house, the holy temple where the Lord's spirit was dwelling. Verse 5 speaks of our strength that is found in the Lord, it speaks of our hearts that are set on the journey to Zion just like those pilgrims. What a beautiful picture for believers. As followers of Christ, we know the destination of our journey. We know that it is an eternity in the presence of the Lord and we have strength to fix our eyes on him during this journey of life.

In verse 6, the author speaks of the valley of Baca. In biblical times, the valley of Baca was known as the valley of weeping. As this week has shown, life will most certainly bring times of weeping and sadness, that just like the pilgrims traveling to the temple, we must often walk through. Times when the circumstances of life seem overwhelming. But please don't miss what the author says. By the beautiful grace of God, the pilgrims are simply passing through the valley of Baca on their journey. Praise Jesus, we are only passing through the valley of weeping. I'll be honest and say that there have been times in my life that I have chosen to stay in the valley of weeping longer than I would like to admit. Times when I lost sight of my destination and the one who laid out the path before me; maybe you're there right now, but sweet friends please know that you do not have to stay there forever. Remember your destination. Remember that you are going to the presence of The Lord. Today make that decision to keep moving. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and journeying to your Lord. At times the valley will seem deep and wide but it cannot last forever; be reassured by the hope and the promise that the valley is only part of the journey and the destination. 

Don't miss the second part of verse 6 either. The author speaks of the springs and the early rain that cover the ground with blessing, even in the valley of Baca. Know that there have been others before you that have walked through the valley of weeping. Their path to and through the valley may be different from the one you are currently taking but look for the springs of life, provision, and water that God has already left for you in the valley. I'm certain that God uses trials in others lives to bring comfort, wisdom, and guidance in our own times of need. I pray that right now whatever hurt and brokenness is heavy in your life, that God would put people in your path that have already walked through the valley and are ready to minister to you as you walk through this season now.

The author continues on into verse 7 speaking of the strength and provision that God has for the pilgrim on the journey. "They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion." What a beautiful picture, God is lavish in his blessings, he is lavish in his provision and we have assurance that the valley is not the final destination on the journey. Every one of the pilgrims appears before God in Zion. Continue on sweet friends, the destination is set, as a believer in Christ, you are promised eternity with him. No trial, no struggle, no valley of weeping is too great to rob you of that destination.

Remember that you have a God that hears your prayers. Remember that a day in his courts is better than a 1,000 elsewhere. Remember that The Lord is a sun and shield, He is a light and a protector, He gives grace and glory and He does not withhold any good thing from those who walk with him.

As I think back on the biggest trials and struggles of my life, I am so thankful for the strength and provision that God has always provided. I'm thankful for the people that he placed in my life all along the journey to mentor to and support me during those difficult times. I'm thankful for friends and family that have often walked through the valley of weeping with me. As I said in my last post, I've learned that sometimes the fruit grows in the valley. It is in those times, that we are most aware of the savior's provision, those times when he takes the things that we see as broken and beyond repair and He often does the most beautiful work.

As a follower of Christ you know the destination of your journey. You know that they valley does not go on forever but that it is a part of the journey to the presence of the Savior. I pray that these verses bring healing to the wounds of hurt, brokenness, and sadness today. I pray that while you may be in the valley today, that The Lord God would pour down his spirit and his blessing, his strength, and his springs of life over you in the valley. I pray that you would look to the right and to the left and you would see brother and sisters, pilgrims on the journey walking alongside you through the valley and as you continue on your journey to Zion.

And if you do not know and have a personal relationship with Jesus today, my prayer, my hope, my desire, is that you could come to know the love and hope that is only available through relationship with him. I pray that today God would put someone in your life to show you the love of God. That you would know without a doubt that there is a God that loves you so much that He sent his one and only son to earth to die for your sins and my sins. I pray that you would know that he sent his son to die so that you can spend eternity with him. Please know that if you were the only person on earth, he would have still sent his son to die for you. He loves you that much. And today, in the midst of whatever valley you are walking in, whatever trials, brokenness, hurt, and sadness you are facing, please know that there is a God that is pursing you and wants you to keep moving, keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep moving through the valley of Baca, and run to him. He is waiting with open arms to welcome you into His family, to give you His strength, His love, and His comfort for the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Wherever you are on the journey, whether you're in the valley of Baca today, whether you're walking out of the valley, or you're just starting the journey, please remember that we have a God that loves you and cares about your hurts. Remember that he loves you so much he sent his only son so that you can spend eternity with him. Remember that even on the darkest of days, he is your strength and your provision. He is a sun and a shield. He gives grace and glory, and He is walking through the journey with you. Lift up your eyes and see that even in the valley He is there. He has not forgotten you and He has not abandoned you. Moment by moment, look to him and He will give you the strength you need to put one foot in front of the other to keep walking out of the valley. Remember your destination.