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 (NLT2)
Imagine yourself in one of the driest places on earth. You and your friends are trying to get to a place of plenty. You come to the middle of nowhere and realize that you will never make it to the other side of your barren desert.
What grass there is, is so dead that it crunches under your feet. You have no hope and then out of nowhere the clouds begin to form and refreshing rain drops begin to fall and instead of a desert your place of despair becomes a well water plain; pools of cool, refreshing water form.
Our Pilgrimage
Such is life. There are times when we feel that we are, spiritually, in the driest place on earth. Our pilgrimage is through a desert of faith and our strength is quickly draining away. We wonder if we’ll ever be refreshed by the Holy Spirit again. We come close to giving up because in the Valley of Baca (weeping) everything looks the same as far as the eye can see.
Then out of nowhere (or so it seems), a raindrop of grace plunks the top of our head; then another and another, until it becomes a “shower of blessing,” and the “Valley of Weeping” becomes a pleasant place. What joy the “Valley of Weeping” becomes when we know that God is with us and what strength we receive when we know that wherever we are, our Lord and our God is with us.
So, set your mind on continuing your pilgrimage to your heavenly home. Never give up because even if you are in that “Valley of Weeping” right now, times of refreshing are coming. Get ready for them. Hallelujah!
