“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca [Weeping], They make it a spring; . . . they go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:5-6a, 7).
Dear Praying Friends:
Pilgrims from all over Israel returned to Jerusalem three times a year for required festivals. For some of them, the journey passed through the Valley of Baca, or Weeping. Instead of succumbing to sorrow, however, they turned the place into a spring. Instead of slackening their pace, they went from strength to strength.
How? Because their hearts were set on the goal of the journey: the Temple of Jerusalem. For them, even the doorway of the house of God was better than the tents of the wicked.
Why? Because Yahweh, their God, provides light and protection; he gives grace and glory [honor]. Indeed, he bestows every possible spiritual gift on those who by faith walk in his ways (Ephesians 1:3-14).
I am certain that many of you have shed bitter and copious tears in the past week, either for yourself or for those whom you love.
Be assured that you are not alone. Millions of believers all over the world weep with you, some of them in trials that would utterly break most of us.
Jesus, too, is with you. The one who cried at the tomb of Lazarus knows your sorrow and your grief, from the inside (Isaiah 53:3).
Rather than losing heart, let us remember the goal of our journey: Nothing less than the eternal dwelling of God himself in all his glory, surrounded by his angels and praised continually by all the saints who have gone before us and who now dwell in endless bliss.
For your prayers: Please ask God to
- Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, who has prepared a place for us in his Father’s house.
- Use us to comfort all those who are afflicted in any way.
“How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of Hosts!” (Psalm 84:1).
Your fellow pilgrim,
Wright