Passing Through The Valley

Passing Through The Valley

Pastor Russell Henderson

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.

[Psalm 84:5-7 NIV]

The first part of Psalm 84 has long been one of my favorite Psalms.  It starts out by saying “How lovely is Your dwelling place…”, “My soul longs for the courts of the Lord”… “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house”.  But today I want to look at the next few verses.

Verse 5 says, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.”  Let’s examine that word pilgrimage.  A pilgrimage is a long journey to a shrine or other sacred place.  A pilgrim says, “I am dedicated to this journey, no matter what gets in my way.  However long it takes, I’m going to reach my destination.”  When we add the first four verses of chapter 84 with this verse we see that God blesses the person who sets his heart on dwelling with God.  That should be the ultimate goal of the believer—to get to the place where God dwells.

It gets really good in verse 6, “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs…”  We know that in scripture a valley is always characteristic of a dark, cold, lonely place, and Baka means weeping.  As followers of Christ, we are not immune to hard times.  Somewhere along the way we are going to experience a Valley of Weeping.  The true test of our character is how we deal with the valley.  Remember the pilgrim?  The pilgrim is always passing through until he reaches his destination.  The pilgrim expects roadblocks and detours, but they will not defeat him.  Instead of getting stuck in the valley, the pilgrim passes through and makes it a place of springs.

This is a literal definition of making lemonade out of lemons.  A spring is a symbol or metaphor of joy and fullness.  It also symbolizes life and abundance.  Friends, you are going to find yourself at some point in a Valley of Weeping, but you must learn to do two things in the valley:  (1)learn to keep the perspective of passing through the valley and not dwelling there, and (2)learn to turn your valley into a place of springs (life, joy, contentment).  How you face your valley determines the blessing you will receive on the other side.

How is that possible?  How can we turn our valley into springs?  You must have your strength in the Lord.  That means that you constantly have to know and recognize that God alone is your source for everything you need, and He alone has all power over the attacks of the enemy.  Verse 7 says “They go from strength to strength…”   In other words, the pilgrim whose heart is set on drawing closer to God will go from one mountain top, through the valley, to the next mountain top, and he will be stronger than he was before.

Are you in a Valley of Weeping?  Maybe you’ve been mourning the loss of a loved one for far too long.  Maybe unrealized dreams and goals have kept you in a place of weeping and depression.  Whatever the circumstance, you were never intended to dwell in the valley.  If  you’ve set up camp there, pull up your tent pegs and get moving.

Today, whether you are currently on the mountain-top or in the valley, put your strength and hope solely in Christ.  Let Him give you a new perspective of your situation.  And above all, don’t choose to dwell in the valley.  Set your heart on pilgrimage, and determine that you will not quit until you get back to God’s presence.  If you are in a valley ask the Lord to open your eyes and show you the springs where you can find shelter, refreshing, restoration, and joy.