Psalm 84:5-7,  “Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

whose hearts are set on pilgrimage,

As they pass through the Valley of Baka,

they make it a place of springs; 

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.

“The Valley of Baka” otherwise known as the “Valley of Tears”.  Have you been there?  I have had seasons in my life where I wasn’t sure there was much hope of it ever ending. Maybe that isn’t you right now, but maybe there is someone you know who is in that valley!  The Valley of Tears can seem like a very lonely place, but there is hope!

You are not in that valley alone!  There are times when we are walking through a “valley” in life and it seems as though we are alone even though we may have people who care deeply.  There are just some “hurts” in life that no earthly person can console!  Now, that doesn’t mean that if you know someone who is struggling or hurting that you can’t be there.  There are times when your friend is hurting that just being there, just having coffee together or praying together or allowing her to get it off her heart without offering a “religious” cliche is healing.  Don’t feel as though you necessarily have to have an answer, pray with her, pray for her!  Let her know even via a simple text, “I am praying for you” and then for heaven’s sake Pray for her!  Don’t say it if you don’t mean it because when you are in that valley you count on every prayer that is offered on your behalf!  If you are the one walking through that valley, you can know that you are never alone!  He is right by your side and He wants to give you every ounce of strength you need to get through to the other side!

Notice in verse 5, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on ‘pilgrimage,’ (or Holiness).  You don’t have to come up with the strength on your own and you don’t need to find the path through this valley!  Grab onto His hand and allow His strength to get you through each day!  Cling to Him!  Ask Him to show you all that He wants to teach you through this so you can be more like Him when you walk out of that valley!  Allow Him to use your story to help others and to make something beautiful out of it all!  What satan has meant for your harm, God will use for your good if you will just give it all to Him!

Now, don’t listen to sad songs!  Whether they are Christian or mainstream, don’t listen to sad songs that take your focus off Him and put them back on your storm!  You need to focus on Him and praising Him!  There’s no time for sad songs that will drag you into self-pity.  I am speaking here from experience!  There are times when we seem to feel as though it is our right and somehow our “vindication” to wallow in our sorrow and self-pity, but there’s victory when we praise Him!  There’s victory when we give it all to Him and we hold on to the fact that Nothing is too difficult for Him!  Hold on to who He is!  Hold on to His character and the fact that He has a plan for your life and this thing you are dealing with may not be by His design, it may be from Hell but He can handle it!  He created you to be an overcomer!  

If you read those verses again you will see that the person who finds their strength in The Lord makes the valley a better place for their having been there!  Wow!  Now that is a challenge!  Don’t focus on the raging storm around you or the heartache, focus today on Him and ask Him what His dreams are for your life.  What does He have for you to do today?  How can you have victory in your life today?  Notice it says in verse 7 that their strength grows day by day until they appear before God in Zion!  Little by little as you learn to give it all to Him, your strength in Him will grow.  Trust Him today with it all.  Spend time alone praying and praising Him!  Go pray with that friend who needs some encouragement.  Allow God to fill you with all that He has for you today knowing that His best is yet to come!

Quote:  “Faith believes in spite of the circumstances and acts in spite of the consequences.”  ~ Adrian Rogers