The following article below was delivered by a beloved brother, Victor Nwankwo. I was greatly blessed and believe you will be blessed too. Please read below…

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you,who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.( vs 5,NIV)

“Passing through the valley of weeping (Baca),they make it a place of springs;the early rain also fills (the pools) with blessings.( vs 6,Amp)

Friend, i humbly want to share a thought with you on the valley of Baca. Another word for valley of Baca is valley of weeping as seen above. Looking through the entire chapter of Psalm 84 and comparing scriptures,I deduced some striking points that blessed me. I saw a situation, then a conversion and the results that followed.

THE SITUATION: It was a valley of weeping

At various times in our pilgrimage,we all have a wilderness or valley experience. It may be a very low spiritual state,a backsliding from faith,lost of a loved one,a financial setback,lost of business or job,a broken or threatened relationship,etc.
In such situations,the tendency might be to have self-pity, point accusing fingers,play the blame game, shun any form of fellowship with other believers,become prayerless,have no time for God,trust in men instead of God,see no reason to praise God,become selfish or secluded,forget our visions and goals,etc.

But the people described in Psalm 84 v 5 were different. They passed through this valley but made it a spring. Please note that they only passed through. And for you too,you’re just passing through! It’s not your final destination. The situation has not come to stay. This too shall pass. In God’s program, you are only permitted to pass through inorder to get to your destination (Isaiah 43 v 2). Remember,God took the Israelites through the wilderness to enable them make it to the promised land.

Secondly,we can see that when they passed through this valley,they were not incapacitated,they didn’t join others in the “weeping profession”, the “why me syndrome”, the God where are You outcry, rather they made it a place of springs, alleluia! God did not make it for them,they made it. The priest or pastor or fellowship leader did not make it for them,they made it themselves. They took responsibility.

How did they make it a spring – a place of blessing, a new beginning, a ladder or bridge to destiny instead of a breaking point?
They must have done a conversion. So, what were the conversion tools?

THE CONVERSION TOOLS:

1. Fellowship ( vs 1,2)

The entire chapter of Psalm 84 is primarily on fellowship, a longing for the sanctuary, the dwelling place, the temple of the living God, a time of communion with God and other saints, a place where two or three are gathered in His name.

One factor the enemy attacks most in today’s very busy world as far as the christian walk is concerned is fellowship. And in the valley of Baca, it’s no different. He wants us to rush out and catch appointments with men at the expense of time with God. He will even orchestrate some meetings, business deals and job offers that will deliberately take us away from God and brethren. But our greatest need in life and this valley is a time with God and brethren. That’s where instructions on how to breakthrough come. We equally attract “commanded blessings” (Psalm 133 v 3). That’s where we get fired up and our challenges become powerless before us. Great mountain becomes a plain. Friend,let’s crave for such times.

2. A Heart set on pilgrimage ( v 5)

Another tool that turns our valley of Baca to a place of refreshing spring is our mindset. Pilgrimage can be seen as our destination, our hope of glory, the essence of the heavenly race,our eternal home. We can also define it as a desired place or thing. Hence,permit me to qualify it as your goal,vision or dream. Your destiny in Christ Jesus.
Joseph got to his destination (dream) because his mind was set on it. Hence,the pit and the prison did not stop the palace. It’s possible you are passing through those challenges because of where you’re destined to be, the kind of problems you are called to solve or the category of people you’re saved to save.

It’s equally important for us to set our heart on our blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus and our eventual rapture to heaven. This kind of mindset helps us to navigate through our challenges victoriously and come out shinning.

3. The Lord is their strength ( v 5)

Their strength is in the Lord. They put their trust in Him. They lean and believe on God, committing all and confidently looking to Him without fear (v 12,Amp). Instead of looking to man,who has the inherent capacity to dissappoint, they looked unto God hence their faces were lightened and they were not ashamed. Because they trust in the Lord and put their confidence in Him, they do not fear when heat comes and have no worries in a year of drought (Jer 17 v 7-8). Some trust in chariots and horses, but they remembered the name of the Lord their God (Ps 20 v 7). Therefore,the name of the Lord became a strong tower for them and they were saved from the enemy’s planned destruction. Their pilgrimage was not halted. Alleluia! The same Lord of Hosts is your strength. Amen.

THE RESULTS

“They go from strength to strength( increasing in victorious power); each of them appears before God in Zion “( v 7, Amp).

“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows (present) grace and favour and (future) glory ( honour, splendour and heavenly bliss). No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly “( v11,Amp).

When they employed the necessary conversion tools, their strength was increased and victory secured. In the valley of Baca, you need inner strength that comes from the abiding word ( 1 John 2v 14,Amp).

Notice that each of them( with no exception) appeared before God in Zion. They made it. Their destiny was not aborted. Their pilgrimage was not truncated. At a point, it looked as if all hell was let loosed, as if they should discontinue and give up but they pressed on in faith and got their victory.

Friend,which point are you now? What is happening ? Financial crisis, broken or threatened relationship, lost your job or business, lost a loved one, you have lost the faith or fervour in the faith, whatever it is, there is a guarantee from the Lord of Hosts that it shall come to pass. You will make it a place of springs; a new beginning, a time of blossoming, a paradigm shift. It will usher you to a new level of glory. You’ll begin to see less of yourself and more of God. Roses will bloom again. There is hope for you.

Just focus on the conversion tools; fellowship, right mindset and trust in the Lord, and let’s see what happens in the next 30 days. There will be a noise, a rattling and a coming together, bone to its bone! Surely, He will bestow present grace to see you through the valley and future glory that guarantees your shinning for life. Hear Him in Isaiah 41 v18 , “I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water , and the dry land springs of water”.

IT SHALL BE WELL. PEACE!

Victor Nwankwo

Lagos,Nigeria
+2348037799200
Enterhisrest@yahoo.com

… grace given, glory guaranteed