Psalm 84-85
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring. The rain also covers it with pools.” (Psalm 84:5–6, NKJV)
Yesterday I received a call from an old friend who has been watching our progress on our church building. He also has witnessed the trials we have endured in the past as a church. He commended us for being patient and not giving up.
As I take a step back and see all that God has done, I know in my spirit that we would not have been ready to build before now. God was using the hard places and lean times to shape and prepare us for what He has for us.
In Psalm 84, the Sons of Korah give us three beatitudes or blessings. The above verse is the second one. A person is blessed (Amplified Bible: happy, fortunate, to be envied) when he finds strength in the LORD. I think about the time David and his men returned to Ziklag and found that their city had been burned and their wives and children had been taken. David’s men were so despondent that they talked about stoning David. But David strengthened himself in the LORD (1 Samuel 30:6).
According to verse 5 above, strength in the LORD is related to setting our hearts on pilgrimage. In other words, we know that our journey through life is long and that heaven is our destination. However, our hearts are not only set on this, but also on the journey. Even when we pass through the Valley of Baca (weeping), we make it a spring, and the rain covers it with pools (blessings). We find a fountain of life in every circumstance through the overflowing love, power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Having our hearts set on pilgrimage enables us to endure trials and stay the course for the long haul. As the apostle Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, we glory in tribulations because tribulation produces perseverance, character and hope.
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5, NKJV)
Therefore, the way we are blessed and find strength in the LORD is to set our hearts on the journey and to keep moving forward in faith. We persevere because we know that God is forming Christ’s character in us, and we have hope because we know that God will pour out His love into our hearts every day until He brings us to heaven with Him for eternity!
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32, NKJV)