Yes and Amen ~ Patt Barrett | Bethel Music &
Housefire
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man
whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing
through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the
early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings. They go from strength to
strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in
Zion. ~ Psalm 84:5-7 AMPC
I’ve been studying Psalm 84:5-7 for a
while. Though I picked it apart, Holy Spirit had
something more to reveal before letting me advance. Beth Moore’s The Quest
said we—Christ followers—should journey like those who have a specific
destination [the highways to Zion]. But the enemy doesn’t want us to reach our
destination. He especially doesn’t want us to bring others along, so he sends
multiple distractions, hoping to turn the purposeful into the wandering. Ephesians
4:14 describes wandering Christians as “infants, tossed back and forth by the
waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning
and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” The wandering may reach
their destination, but they waste a lot of time, allowing distractions—both
good and bad—to carry them far from the path. But upon finding their way back,
the Lord draws them “from strength to strength” until they make it home, (Psalm
84:7).
God sent us on this journey, so we’ll
influence others—family, neighbors, co-workers—who are already watching us.
They’re watching, because they’ve heard of how God walked with us through
the hard times [Valley of Weeping], and then turned our “mourning into
dancing,” (Psalm 84:6; Psalm 30:11). After passing through the valleys, we’re
able to look back and see how God has increased our faith and drawn us closer
to His side. Others see it, too, and are drawn to it, like a sweet fragrance. 2
Corinthians 2:14-15 says we—Christ followers—are the fragrance of Christ and
God uses our lives to spread His fragrance everywhere.
When others question your hope, peace,
and joy while the rest of the world is in chaos and disarray, with bold
confidence, you can say, “This world isn’t my home. I’m just passing through –
would you like to come along?”
©Heather Potts 2020
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