Psalm 84:5 - Oh The Blessings In Walking With Jesus.
Psalm 84:5 (NIV) Blessed are those whose
strength is in you, who have set their hearts on
pilgrimage.
Psalm 84:5 (GW) Blessed are those who find
strength in you. Their hearts are on the road {that
leads to you}.
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
The pilgrimage to the temple passed through
the barren Valley of Baca. No specific valley
has been identified with Baca. Because 'Baca'
can mean "weeping," it may have been a symbolic
reference to the times of struggles and tears through
which people must pass on their way to meet God.
Growing strong in God's presence is often preceded
by a journey through barren places in our
lives. The person who loves to spend time with God
will see his or her adversity as an opportunity
to re-experience God's faithfulness. If you are
walking through your own Valley of Baca today, be
sure your pilgrimage leads toward God, not away
from him. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Weakness Can Be a Good Thing
Are you tired? Maybe youre running on
steam, and at the end of each day, youve run out
of energy. The reason why is really simple:
Youre a human being.
Your strength is limited. But Gods
strength is unlimited. Your strength is finite. But
Gods strength is infinite. Your strength is
exhaustible - thats why you get exhausted! But
Gods strength is inexhaustible. God never runs
out of energy. God never gets tired.
Psalm 84:5 says, You bless all who
depend on you for their strength (CEV). Do you
want Gods blessing on your life? Then you need
to depend on God for your strength.
Hudson Taylor was an influential
missionary to China in the 19th century. He was a
spiritual giant and a brilliant man. In his old age,
he lost his health and became quite weak. He
wrote a letter to a friend that said, I am so
weak I can no longer work. I am so weak I can no
longer study. I am so weak I can no longer read my
Bible. I cannot even pray. I can only lie still in
the arms of God like a little child in
trust.
At some point in your life, you may be so
weak that you cant even pray, read the Bible,
go to a Bible study, work, or really do
anything. What do you do in those moments? You rest in
the strength of the Lord - in his arms like a
little child - and you trust.
Weakness can actually be a good thing in
your life if it causes you to depend on God. In 2
Corinthians 12:8-10, Paul says, Three different times
I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time
he said, My grace is all you need. My power
works best in weakness. So now I am glad to
boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of
Christ can work through me. Thats why I take
pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults,
hardships, persecutions, and troubles that suffer for
Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong
(NLT).
Thats the paradox of depending on God:
The weaker you are, the more you depend on him.
And the more you depend on him, the stronger you
get. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 84:5, 6 - Oh The Blessings In Walking
With Jesus.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180207-1350.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/