The Valley Of Weeping – 1st March 2009 am
Psalm 84
The word Baca means weeping. Life is full of heartaches and disappointments. Life is full of tears. Life begins with crying (A baby is born crying). Life ends with crying (We mourn for those who die). Psalm 84 details the importance of the house of the Lord to the Christian. In a day where people view the church as having no or little importance, the Bible clearly emphasises the importance of God’s house.
Vs. 1 – It is a place of great beauty and is well beloved. The devil hates it and the Christian loves it.
Vs. 2 – It is a place of desire and worship.
Vs. 3 – It is a place of nesting and sacrifice. A wonderful place to raise your children and to give to the Lord His due!
Vs. 4 – It is a place of continuance and glory. Those who are faithful to God’s house continue to praise His wonderful name!
Vs. 5 – It is a place of blessing and strength. It is in the house of the Lord that we find strength to endure in the hard times!
It is of no small wonder that God introduces the Valley of Weeping with the importance of steadfastness in the house of the Lord.
I. The Facts of The Valley
1. It Is Temporary – vs. 6 - “passing through”
It doesn’t matter whether you are a Christian or not, you will walk through this valley. The difference is that when you walk it as a Child of God, Jesus walks it with you and He carries you through the rough places.
There is no way around this valley, only through it. Those things in life that bring us pain or suffering can do one of two things; they can either break you or make you into a better person. Someone once said, “It’s not what happens that matters, it’s how you handle it.”
With all of life’s tears, there is much joy! Tears Are Temporal - John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Joy Will Be Eternal - Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
2. It Can Be A Blessing – vs. 6 – “make it a well”
Not make a well in the Valley of Weeping, but make the Valley of Weeping a well! What happens when you fill a valley up with water? – Reservoir…
You can pass through the valley of weeping and come out empty. Most people never see what the Lord is doing for them in this valley, we must learn to turn our times of sorrow and distress into wells from which we draw the waters of spiritual maturity and growth.
But, those that have the strength, stamina and character to stay with God make it a well. A Valley is a dark and often dreadful place... A well is a refreshing and helpful place. We will all pass through the Valley of Baca... But, those that have the Blessing of God upon them MAKE IT A WELL!
Some of you will pass through the valley of weeping and it will change you, whilst others will pass through this valley and they will change it.
Moses traveled the Valley of Tears as he fled into the wilderness – but he made it a well. He rebuilt his relationship with God and became the great leader of the Children of Israel.
Abraham traveled the Valley of Tears as God led him to that mountaintop to sacrifice his only son upon the altar as a symbol of his faith and obedience to God – but God had a well prepared for Abraham and provided a ram for the sacrifice.
Job traveled the Valley of Tears as Satan was allowed to strip away everything that God had blessed Job with – but Job dug a well in the desert spiritually speaking. He never lost his relationship with the Giver of all good things. Job drank from the well of the living water and God restored to him many times more than what he had lost.
David traveled the “Valley of Tears” as he failed God so many times, even having an illegitimate son from another man’s wife and watching God take that son away from him because of his sin – but David made it a well asking God to forgive him (Psalm 51). God still called David a man after God’s own heart even through all of David’s failures.
You Can Pass Through The Valley Of Weeping And “Make It A Well.” A well in the Middle East was a precious thing! How then do youu turn this valley of weeping into a well?
1) You can make it a well by being faithful to God’s house – vs 4, 10
2) You can make it a well by exercising faith in God – vs 12
3) You can make it a well by continuing in God’s service – vs 5
II. The Find In The Valley
1. You Can Find The Strength Of The Lord – vs 5, 7
Without weakness we would not appreciate God’s strength
There is something about being in God’s presence, and in His house, that will strengthen the Christian. The more you come and desire to come, the stronger you will become. The more you stay away and desire to stay away, the weaker you will become. There is nothing mystical or magical about that. It’s just the truth.
Try spending time every day with the Lord and see if that doesn’t strengthen your inner, spiritual man. Try being faithful to the Lord and the church and see if you don’t strengthen the inner man. It works.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
2. You Can Find The Ears of the Of The Lord – vs 8 “O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob”
Without prayer we would not appreciate God’s answers
Call me old fashion. Call me whatever you want to call me, but God hears us when we pray, and He will answer our prayers if our hearts are right with Him. The closer will get to God the more obvious the answers to our prayers become. Our heavenly Father wants each of us to experience the joy of praying. In fact, He has much more for us than we can even realize.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
3. You Can Find The Presence Of The Lord – vs 9
Without loneliness we would not appreciate God’s Presence.
You know…God is here. He is not far off. He is close. During Christmas time what name do we refer to when talking about Christ? - Immanuel. But the truth of the incarnation is not something that is a past event. The concept of Immanuel is a present reality. He is the “with-us God,” and He is here.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
But though God is here, we often miss Him. There are barriers that need to be broken down that keep us from Him and Him from us. Our priorities, our desires, and above all our sins get in the way. They prevent us from the enjoyment that God has for us.
How many times does God have to put us in this valley of tears so that we’ll come into His presence?
4. You Can Find The Guidance Of The Lord – vs 11 “For the LORD God is a sun”
Without loss of direction we would not appreciate God’s guidance – (Car wife = ask for directions, husband = no, not lost…..)
Like the sun, the Lord provides comfort for the journey. Like the sun, the Lord lights our way, and warms our path, and gives guidance along the way. Just as the sun delights the hearts of men, so the Lord delights the hearts of His children and radiates their sight. He provides warmth and light for the journey.
Psalms 23:2-3 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
5. You Can Find The Protection Of The Lord – vs 11 “For the LORD God is a…shield”
Without danger we would not appreciate God’s protection
Not only is the Lord like the sun guiding us along the way, revealing Himself and His will to us, He is also like a shield that is raised to protect us. He is above us to give us what we need and around us to protect us on our journey through life.
During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.
“Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor." As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on.
Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall." It’s in the valley of weeping that we realize that God is our protection, He is our shield.
Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
6. You Can Find The Grace, Glory and Goodness Of The Lord – vs 11
Without trials we would not appreciate God’s grace. Without failure we would not appreciate God’s glory. Without suffering we would not appreciate God’s blessings
Here we have a two-fold promise to every child of God. We are promised His grace while we travel and His glory when we arrive at home. There is help for today and hope for tomorrow. God is simply promising to get us home safely!
We are reminded that the Lord delights in providing for the needs of His children, Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.. We must remember that we are His children.
One reason we have the troubles we have and worry as we do is that we have forgotten to whom we belong! We are the Lord’s people and we are His responsibility, Matt. 6:24-33. He will bless your life, it is simply a matter of your learning to trust Him and rest in Him, especially when you are in a valley.!
Conclusion
Why does God permit the Valley of Baca?
FOR OUR GOOD--Each time you are called upon to walk through trouble, you come out a better person.
FOR OUR GROWTH--When we walk the Path of Suffering, we draw closer to God.
FOR OTHERS GUIDANCE--We cannot lead others where you ha
