Psalm 84:5, 6 - Oh The Blessings In Walking With Jesus.
Psalm 84:5, 6: Oh The Blessings In Walking With Jesus.
Psalm 84:5-7 (NIV) Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the
Valley of Baca, 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 (NLT) What joy for those whose strength comes from
the LORD, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place
of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with
blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will
appear before God in Jerusalem.
Psalm 84:5-7 (TLB) Happy are those who are strong in the Lord,
who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through
the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools
of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow
constantly in strength, and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord
in Zion.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Valley of Vision
In the days of the conquest of Canaan, the Valley of Baca was
known as a dry, waterless place where only balsam trees could grow.
Some have called it "a place of weeping." However, when we trust God
during dry, parched times, we can turn our valley of weeping into a
refreshing "place of springs."
My favorite Puritan prayer about valleys has seen me through
many a dry place in my spiritual journey: "Lord, high and holy, meek
and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision... Let me
learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to
be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the
contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the
victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the
cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the
valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen
from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars
shine; Let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death, thy
joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty, thy
glory in my valley."[Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision]
Psalm 23:4 says, "... though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil." We fear no harm in the valley
because death can only cast its shadow on us. Evil has no grip on us.
Truly, we find God's brightest glory in our darkest valleys.
Lord, you are the Great Shepherd who leads me through every
dark valley. I trust you to turn my valley of weeping into a place of
refreshment and encouragement. [Joni Eareckson Tada Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
COMMENTARY
Do you enjoy browsing in the library, going to see a friend,
relaxing on the sofa, or walking through the woods? Sometimes the world
becomes a pressure cooker, and we need to go to a place that refreshes
us. Where is that place for you?
Psalm 84 talks of the place to go when we need refreshment.
The writer of this Psalm had a deep desire to dwell in God's
presence (84:1-4). In fact, he loved the Lord so much that he envied the
sparrows because they could build nests near the altar (84:3). He
recognized that those who seek God are richly rewarded (84:5-7). This was
his cure for a meaningless and hectic existence.
We, like the psalmist, need to have a desire to know God
intimately and a desire to dwell in his presence. Fortunately, we don't
have to visit the Temple to commune with God. Today, because of the
death and resurrection of Christ, we can meet God anywhere, at any
time. If we belong to him, his Holy Spirit lives within us, and his
presence is always with us. We need only to go to God in prayer to enjoy
being in his presence (see Hebrews 4:16).
When the busyness of this world catches up with you, get away
and spend time alone with God. It will be well worth your time to do
so. [The One Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave Veerman]
Because we can worship God anyplace and anytime, we might
fail to understand the psalmist's longing. In Old Testament times a
person made a pilgrimage to worship God. It was a yearly event and
often involved a lengthy journey. That is why the psalmist sang of a
dwelling place where he could be in the presence of the Lord. It's why he
expressed a desire to be even a lowly gatekeeper in God's house (v, 10) so
that he could worship God every single day! We have available to us
what the psalmist could only hope for. When Christ hung on the cross,
the heavy veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the
temple ripped from top to bottom. This symbolic act shouted to the
world that believers were no longer required to stand at a distance.
We can walk into God's presence and commune with him by name. Today
many religions continue to require a pilgrimage to worship their
gods. Christ made a way for you by making a pilgrimage of his own -
the long, lonely walk to the cross - so that you could praise him
wherever you are.
JESUS, I am thankful that I can worship you right where I am.
I will enter your courts with thanksgiving. I will kneel at the
mercy seat and find forgiveness. I will call out your name in praise.
Lord, I pray for those who do not have intimacy with the living God.
You have already made the pilgrimage for them. Open their eyed to
see that they can find you right here, right now. [Praying Through
The Bible By Fuller]
Psalm 84 reflects a longing for the presence of God. But the
psalmist knows that he doesn't have to wait until heaven to find
happiness. Those who have set their minds on Christ can walk each day in
paths of joy.
But what if we're in the "Valley of Weeping" (v. 6)? What if
the diagnosis is cancer? What if our children make horrible choices?
What if we lose our job? What will sustain us in our darkest days?
Our hope is not in a distant city with streets of gold. Our
hope is in the omnipresent Lord God, who travels with us each step of
our journey. He is the One who sheds light on our dark path and
protects us from evil. His grace and glory make our wilderness a place of
refreshing springs with pools of blessings. Because he will not withhold
from us any good thing, we can have peace in his faithfulness to
supply all we need.
In our prayers for our daily needs, let us not lose sight of
the One who sojourns with us. Let us set our minds on the goal: to
live every day strengthened in the glorious light of his presence.
LORD, forgive me for my nearsightedness that keeps me focused
on worldly cares. Please give me an eternal perspective on all that
happens to me today. Set my mind and my heart on you so that I can
embrace your presence moment by moment. You, O Lord, are my strength and
my hope. [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller re Psa. 84:5, 11]
ILLUSTRATIONS
My life was near perfect. I had amazing children, a strong
marriage, a beautiful house filled with friends, a "dream job" working
part-time at my kids' school, and a growing ministry for moms. Within a
month, everything changed. Through clear guidance, God called us to
leave our comfort zone for a new opportunity to serve him.
The next year wasn't easy. We faced shocking financial
hardship. My husband, Mike, fell from a tree, shattering his right ankle
and left heel, and lived in a hospital bed for several months. We
were in a car accident. Our daughter got pneumonia. And the new job,
new school, and loss of community only added to our struggles.
Driven to my knees, I found comfort time and again. My
husband handled his disability with courage and faith, and God
introduced me to Psalm 84. Our pilgrimage took us to our own Valley of
Weeping, but God made it clear that we were merely passing through. He
provided a refreshing spring or healing rain just when we needed it. The
desert journey lasted exactly one year, and we were once again blessed
with financial security, ministry opportunities, and friends. Looking
back at our trail of weary footprints, we are stunned to see that
through it all, God somehow still used us to help bring refreshment and
blessing to the people in that lifeless valley.
Pennie Bixler, wife of Mike and mother to Aaron and
Bridgette, is a writer, speaker, scrapbooker, and senior director of
SAMmy's (Strength Among Moms), a Bible study for mothers. [The One Year
Bible Live Verse Devotional]
If you were to serve as "my hands" for a day, I'd keep you
plenty busy. I would need you to sit next to me at my desk and help
with my correspondence and schedule. I might dictate a letter or
article, challenging you to type as fast as I speak.
Later on you could help me organize my books, photocopy
pages, file copies, brew coffee, help me with lunch, empty my leg bag,
and run a few errands. If needed an adjustment with my corset or
catheter, you could help me lie down on the office sofa. And we'd be only
halfway through the day!
How would we accomplish so much work? Spirit-inspired energy!
My assistant and I go from strength to strength. That means pausing
in between projects to pray, pulling a hymnal off the shelf to sing
praise songs before lunch, praying over the phone with someone who
happens to call, even stopping for tea at four o'clock and reading a
line or two of Scripture. Going from strength to strength in God's
Spirit means pausing regularly during your day to allow God to refresh
you. It is the only way to work. It is the only way to live.
Remind me, Lord, to take many pauses throughout the day to
think about you, to set my mind on you, and to be refreshed by you.
Carry me from strength to strength. Amen. [A Word from Joni; Beyond
Suffering Bible re Psa. 84:7]
After being battered all day by a hot south wind, the squash
vines and tomato plants in our garden drooped in the fading light.
They practically cried out for water from the sprinkler. But the
trees in the yard were green and flourishing, though they required far
more water than the squash and tomatoes. The deep roots of the trees
found a hidden source of water far below the surface where the garden
plants struggled. Like those trees, people who trust in the Lord are
not at the mercy of surface circumstances because we have deep roots
to our eternal Source. [Quiet Time SB re Jer.17:7]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Trust Me and don't be afraid, for I am your Strength and
Song. Think what it means to have Me as your Strength. I spoke the
universe into existence: My Power is absolutely unlimited! Human
weakness, consecrated to Me, is like a magnet, drawing My Power into your
neediness. However, fear can block the flow of My Strength into you.
Instead of trying to fight your fears, concentrate on trusting Me. When
you relate to Me in confident trust, there is no limit to how much I
can strengthen you.
Remember that I am also your Song. I want you to share My
Joy, living in conscious awareness of My Presence. Rejoice as we
journey together toward heaven: join Me in singing My Song. (Isa. 12:2,
3; Psa. 21:6) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Oh, what a life of wonderful joy, adventure, and ever-deepening
love the good shepherd leads us all to! As we follow him along the
path of life, let us leave him to choose every step of the way, as we
live in his radiant presence and are ever led to still higher places.
Hannah Hurnard (1905-1990)
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040914-1404.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
