Psalm 84:5–12
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;
In whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
The rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer:
Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield,
And look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 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.
12 O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
What are Baca believers?
No, if you smoke or chew, I ain’t talking about you!
I’m not talking about tobacco. (I have some rather country friends that refer to that leaf as “bacca“ or “backer”)
Baca is a place.
In this Psalm, travelers on their way to the temple are described as “blessed” or happy as they go on their pilgrimage. They pass through the dry valley of Baca (the name means tears) but their short time traveling through makes a difference in the place.
Psalm 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; The rain also filleth the pools.
These travelers find hidden springs and dig wells for those that follow. Their time in the valley of tears is productive because they understand, this time is not just for themselves. The Lord blesses their labor and sends rain to further fill the pools they leave behind.
They go through a place of tears but leave wells for the benefit of other weary pilgrims who may pass through.
Lest we think that it is just their disposition, that somehow it is easy for them to find and spread joy in a barren place, we see that they have to continually find new strength.
Psalm 84:7 They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
They go from strength to strength, little by little they find enough to keep going until eventually they joyfully arrive at the house of God.
I‘ve been blessed to know a few folk like these travelers. On their way to the Heavenly temple they bring abundant blessings to others. They are so excited about their destination they spread contagious joy wherever they go. Yes, they pass through places of sadness like everyone else but somehow they bring blessings to barren places. Even in times of sorrow they take the time to care for those that come after them. They dig wells in difficult places! They find just enough strength to continue their journey and grow as they go.
I had to ask myself, do I do this? Do I take my tear filled times and make them matter?
I have been in Baca for a while now. I am finding a few wells to sustain me, wells that others have left for followers like me. I thank God for their testimony and encouragement. I hope to keep going and growing as I find strength and it builds little by little. I hope that I can not only find joy in this valley but somehow spread it too.
Yes, It is a task too great for me, but I have hope that I can find that power in an infinite source. I look forward to the day that I arrive at my final destination and look upon the one that gave me everything I needed along the way.
Psalm 84:9 Behold, O God our shield,
And look upon the face of thine anointed.
By faith I believe this promise and believe happy is the one that gets help from God.
Psalm 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;
In whose heart are the ways of them.
Are you going through a Baca? Are you enduring a desert season?
Are you in a place of tears?
If not, you will eventually pass through this place! Just know, there is a hidden spring of strength!
If you are already there, remember to look for wells to leave for those who follow. They will benefit from your experience and growth and you could probably use the distraction.
Let’s determine to be like these Baca believers, what do you say?
BB
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