Psalm 84:5-7

Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.
(ESV)

Blessed are they whose strength is in You.
Our strength is not in ourselves, our flesh, our own accomplishments.
Everything we are is from God. He made us: our bodies, our minds, our talents, strengths and gifts. But beyond that, as we grow closer to Him we realize that everything we do depends on Him. We need His Spirit in our hearts to guide our decisions, strengthen our resolve, grace our courage and sustain our physical strength. Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5, ESV)

in whose heart are the highways to Zion
Zion is the mountain of God; the Kingdom of God; the Holy City; the new, redeemed Jerusalem. Those who have the highways to Zion in their hearts are those who look forward ("Thy Kingdom come," as the Lord's prayer says)... waiting and working for the day when the Lord returns. He will rule with justice and put an end to sin and suffering. As I have been studying Revelation recently, this is a wonderful encouragement. Revelation focuses much on the terrors of the tribulation that will occur before the end of time, before the new heaven and the new earth. Those whose strength is in the Lord are able to put their focus beyond all that, looking instead, with joy, to the coming kingdom.


As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
On the way to Zion, there are tribulations, difficult paths, desert wastelands. This makes me think of The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Corrie's sister, Betsy, utterly exemplified the person this psalm is describing. Although she was weak and sick, her strength was in the Lord, and her heart was focused on His Kingdom. While Betsy and Corrie went together from one concentration camp to another, Betsy rejoiced in her opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with many fellow prisoners who had lost hope. With her sweet spirit--the Spirit of Christ in her--she united prisoners, helped people share their resources, soothed arguments, and most importantly, she led Bible studies.

Although they were in what you would call a Valley of Baca, Christ in Betsy made it a place of refreshment. Her love touched people, gave them hope for eternity, nurtured their spirits. Betsy taught Corrie to be thankful, even for the fleas in one of their dormitories, because the fleas kept the guards away so the women could study God's Word together. Like Paul and Silas who sang and praised God in the Philippian prison, Betsy and Corrie brought peace and joy to Nazi concentration camps. Betsy's heart even broke for the Nazi prison guards who were so crippled and blinded by hate. With Christ in us, when we face difficult or miserable times, we have the opportunity, like Betsy Ten Boom, to make our Valley of Baca a place of springs, because of the strength of the Lord that abides within us.

They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
This is our hope. The Lord's strength will sustain us. No matter how bad life on earth may get, the Lord will never leave or forsake those He calls His own. And after sustaining us and carrying us through, He eventually brings us to heaven, glorious heaven, where there are no more tears and no more pain. There, He comforts us and covers us and shows us His glory, which makes the Grand Canyon look like an ant hill. We have so much to look forward to.

Psalm 84:3-4

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house,
ever singing Your praise.
(ESV)

I've seen birds build nests in the letters on the Wegman's storefront. Sometimes birds fly around in Lowes or Home Depot, and they used to be all over the place in Sam's Club.

These verses just make the scene so real and accessible. I picture the psalmist going to the temple to worship, and there in the outer courts, near the altar, he sees a bird nesting.

And what is his response? Is he horrified that a bird's nest has been built there at the altar? Does he try to drive it away? No, he rejoices to see where the bird has its home. He imagines how wonderful it would be to live there in the courts of God, like the bird. He perceives blessing and his heart praises God. He hears the bird sing, and he sings to the Lord with her.

I think we may stay here in Psalms 84-86 for a few days. They are very fortifying, refreshing. In the midst of studying the judgment of God in Revelation, after reading about the judgment of God in Psalms 70-79, these scriptures are a blessed relief. God knows what we need.

Revelation 17:14

"They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called chosen and faithful."

In the middle of a daunting chapter about the end of the world, this verse.

You should probably be curious enough to go read the chapter, if you are unfamiliar with it. Revelation 17, a preacher's nightmare for the most part.

And then, this verse.

The Lamb will conquer them. Our Lamb, Jesus Christ, whose blood takes away the sins of the world.

No matter what happens, He has already won the epic struggle of good against evil. He won that at the cross when He died and rose again. Near the end of time, Satan will try to do what he can to cheat the Lamb out of His just reward (our eternal souls). He will make war on the Lamb. But the Lamb will conquer him, vanquish him, and bring us home to heaven... those of us who are chosen and faithful.

That's good news.

Keep on keeping on.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God,
as beloved children.
And walk in love,
as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
(ESV)

I've been going very slowly (very slowly) through Ephesians.

Sometimes you notice things you'd otherwise miss, when you go very slowly. Of the many verses from Ephesians that we memorize and teach to our children, this one rarely makes the cut.

But when you really think about it, isn't this the main point?

We are not naturally drawn to make sacrifices for others the way Christ did. When Paul says, "That I may gain Christ... that I may know Him... and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death..." (from Philippians 3), that is not our favorite verse.

We always just want to take the "good" and not the stuff that appears unpleasant. This is why my husband likes to eat the praline topping off my praline squash dish. This is why many who purport to be pastors preach only that "God loves you" (which is true), and never that Jesus is coming again to judge the world, or that God condemns certain behaviors and lifestyles.

But it is easy to point the finger at what other people miss. What am I missing? What am I ignoring? Do I believe in the goodness of God, trust in His grace and have enough confidence in His sovereign plan that I am willing to sacrifice myself temporarily, now, for the great eternal gain of His Kingdom?

Most days, I do not think I succeed at this. Lord, help me.

Psalm 84:1-2

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

This is from the ESV.
I pray that it is true of my heart.
Sometimes God has to make things on earth a little bleaker than we'd like them, in order to get us to look up and long for what He has in store for us in heaven.

Psalm 82:3-5

"Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken."
(ESV)

Dear Lord, help me to understand what this means. Sometimes poverty is the result of wickedness. Sometimes the sins of the fathers affect many generations that follow (Exodus 34:7). Lord, how do we figure out what justice is? Do we simply give love and mercy, and leave the justice to you? Is it OK to give money to someone I am pretty sure will spend it on drugs or alcohol? Who are the wicked? Is there a difference between a wicked poor person and a regular poor person? Is there no such thing as a wicked poor person?

I am very confused. But it makes me think of Micah 6:8...

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
(ESV)

Psalm 80:19

"Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!" (ESV)

"Restore us, LORD God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (NIV)

"Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." (KJV)

I actually like the KJV here: Turn us again.

Please, God, turn our hearts back to you. Why are we so prone to wander? Please fix our direction and shine your face on us, your loving, powerful, almighty face. It is only through your Spirit and your power that we can ever be saved. Although Jesus took the miraculous steps needed to save us, although He gave his life to redeem ours by suffering, dying and rising again, we cannot even begin to comprehend or accept the truth about Jesus until your face shines understanding and love for you into our hearts. Teach us to depend on you, to look to you, to follow you. Teach us to love you.