Making a Desert into an Oasis
Psalm 84 is a pilgrimage psalm where the psalmist expresses his longing to be in God’s presence in the temple in Jerusalem. We don’t know for sure, but his access to the temple may have been cut off due to a military incursion by a hostile neighbor. Regardless of the regional tensions, the psalmist speaks of a “Valley of Baca,” a place of dryness and desolation that stood between him and the temple. What is the dry place, the difficulty, that you are facing right now? The psalmist acknowledges that it is possible to turn the Valley of Baca into a place of springs. I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to turn my dry places into places of life and abundance. What was the psalmist’s secret? Those who find their strength in God and who have set their hearts on pilgrimage can transform the Valley of Baca into a place of springs. As we seek the Lord and rely on Him for strength, we will experience his life, hope, and peace, even as we walk through the valleys.