We learn that Jesus came to touch people's hearts, by bringing revelation of the Power of God, for: salvation; healing; deliverance. Jesus made it clear we would have difficulties and problems, but He has overcome all evil with good - on the Cross, and through His ministry to us. As we face the reality that we are hurting and suffering, and allow the Lord to help us repent and forgive, He will always respond. God is committed to our character and growth, not our comfort.
I want to share with you two verses now; and we’re going to go into Psalm 84.
The Bible tells us that the ministry of Jesus was to touch people. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit, the power of God was upon Him; and He set people free who were oppressed by evil spirits.
When Jesus described His ministry, He said: the Holy Spirit was upon Him to preach the gospel, to explain to people how they could be reconciled to God. Jesus said: Repent, change your mind, for the kingdom of God is near you. But Jesus also came to heal the broken-hearted, and to set people free who were imprisoned by evil spirits.
Psalm 84:5 – “Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose heart is set on pilgrimage or a journey. As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”
Now, Jesus made it very clear that in the world we live, we will suffer difficulties, problems; and he said: but have courage, because I’ve overcome everything that could come your way. Jesus understood family pressures. He understood betrayal. He understood what it was like to be rejected. He understood what it was like to experience people criticising Him. He understood what it was like to face injustice; but He always manifested the life of God. He always overcame evil with good.
These few verses here describe how we can become free. He talks about the valley of Baca. The name Baca means ‘sorrows’ or ‘weeping’. So the Bible uses a picture to describe a painful experience in our life. A valley is a low place. The mountains are the high places. So when a person is in a valley, they’re in a place of challenge and difficulty. There are many valleys mentioned in the Bible. There’s the valley of the shadow of death. There’s the valley of trouble. There’s a valley of sorrows or weeping.
So in this passage, God describes a valley – a difficult place in life. Valleys happen to every person. Difficult experiences, experiences that produce sorrow. It can be a marriage; a family; finances; ministry; in the workplace; or with our friends. Sorrows come in life. So when a person is in the valley of sorrow, there’s grief and pain in their heart.
The Bible tells us in this verse, it says: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord, who passes through the valley of sorrow.”
So valleys are inevitable. They happen to everyone. Valleys are painful, but valleys can be profitable –we can grow in them. Whatever experience you are facing, God intends you to grow through it. He wants to come to you in your valley; He wants to show you how much He loves you; and He wants to help you walk out of your valley. God does not intend us to stay in the valley. He intends us to pass out of the valley.
So blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord, who passes through the valley; and makes his valley-experience a well that refreshes other people. Whatever painful experience you’ve gone through in life, you can remain stuck in it – being angry and resentful and sad all of your life; or you can choose to reach out to the Lord and change, and make your valley a well. A well, for the people who were reading this, was a place of refreshing and life.
The Bible uses pictures to describe spiritual experiences: a valley of sorrow, for a time of weeping and difficulty; becoming a well of blessing, with God’s spirit moving in that situation. Valley of sorrow; well of blessing. It says: they make the valley of sorrow into a well.