Baca - The Valley of Weeping

The personal trials and struggles I have encountered lately have been numerous and very hard. So blinding the pain and suffering they have caused me that I had to have a loving Sister in Christ point out to me that I am/have been in Baca, the Valley of Weeping.

Ellicott's commentary for the full chapter of Psalm 84 is here:
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers.

I am certain that this valley is where I have been. It is also where I still am, but I have found a pool of strength from my God. Where I was drowning in my pain and sorrow before, I am now beginning to revive and renew; yet I remain in the valley. So, if I am still in the valley, what has changed?

All of this time I have been depending upon my own strength to deal with the many trials that have come up. Even in places which I thought I had given to the Lord, I was really relying on myself. Instead of running to God at the first sign of trouble I tried to deal with it in my own strength, either alone or talking to a friend. How often we take for granted our God!

Finally, I reached my breaking point. I felt I could no longer go on. My misery and pain was so great, so blinding, I felt my faith so small that all it would do is get me through the gates of heaven. Now, I love my God. I do. I love Him so very much. Yet, I was not trusting Him. I trusted Him to get me into heaven, but I did not trust Him to get me through these trials. (And I didn't even realize I had stopped trusting Him!)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

I was doing the exact opposite!! No wonder my world was falling to pieces around me! Would you bother answering someone who asked you for something but didn't really believe you? I did a lot of praying, yet I remained in my misery. God had not left me. He simply was not going to answer prayers that were not from a trusting heart. I was not trusting Him with all my heart, and I was leaning on my own understanding (which, quite frankly, wasn't much!).

Are you in Baca? Is it a dry and unrelentingly draining place you find yourself in? I encourage you to self-examine. Cry out to God. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Repent of your lack of trust. Once you do, He will begin answering you, by sending the rains to fill the replenishing pools. You may not find a downpour. I have not encountered a downpour, but the sprinkles I am finally getting are slowly collecting in those pools and I am drawing the strength I need to continue by simply focusing on getting to the next pool of strength. Right now, I cannot look to the horizon and find the end of this valley. If I do, I will lose sight of where the next pool of strength is and thus be drained once again. Just keep your focus on those pools of strength and trust that God will lead you to the end of the valley.

God bless you dear ones.