Psa. 84:4-12:
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will yet be praising You. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the valley of Baca, They make it a spring; Indeed the early rain covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; Each appears before God in Zion. O Jehovah God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob. Behold our shield, O God; And look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand; I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield; Jehovah gives grace and glory; He does not withhold anything good From those who walk uprightly. O Jehovah of hosts, blessed is the man Who trusts in You.
Baca means "weeping". God's house is the church. The highways to Zion is the intention to be in the church. (Zion was where the temple was, the temple being God's house in the Old Testament times.)
In the past I have been puzzled by a phenomenon that occurs every time: when I set my heart on seeking God, I am always confronted with persecution. Many times, it comes from sources which I do not expect it to come from; sometimes from sources that I think are supposed to be supporting me, strengthening me, so to speak. When that happens, it hurts. Though I may not weep outwardly, but inwardly, I weep. Then, I am discouraged. Yet, this is exactly the kind of experience we are supposed to have. But, instead of being discouraged, what I need was to find strength in my God. After all, probably there is no strength apart from God, and being apart from God is the very reason why I lack the strength to overcome persecution. God will make my tears into a spring, not meaning that I will cry a river, but that God will turn my sorrows into something pleasant. He will encourage me and strengthen me.
He is my shield to protect me. He is my sun to give me light and life. He gives Himself to me as grace and glory for my enjoyment and splendor. He is a nest for me to hide in, and a house for me to live in. All I need to do is to trust in Him. Be encouraged, all you who love God and want to dwell in His house.
Written on October 3, 2011