Psalm 84:5-7, “What joy for those whose strength comes from the LORD, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.” NLT
God’s living presence is our rock and shield. We know that, as Psalm 18:2 declares, “The LORD is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” We know we are to trust God’s sovereign will over our lives, but what do you do when things turn out differently than you maybe even prayed for? What do you do when circumstances seem to work against you – yet are they? You know God knows best, and His answer is not what you expected. So how do you navigate going through your own time of being (metaphorically) in the Valley of Weeping?
In ancient Israel times, the pilgrimage to the Temple, in Jerusalem, passed through a location that was referred to as the Valley of Weeping. However, the location was not identified because the Hebrew word baca can mean “weeping.” “Yet the psalmist’s description points to God’s power to turn spiritual deserts into overflowing springs. Even when dryness and need seem overwhelming, faith can stir divine grace that brings forth blessing, mirroring how the early rain signals God’s provision (James 5:7).” Blue Letter Bible Commentary.
We may go through several valleys, such as the valleys of grief, loneliness, health issues, disappointment in people, job downturns, rejection, and circumstances beyond our control. Did you ever think going through your own “Valley of Weeping” that the Lord has His sovereign control over, could be a time of blessing and sustenance by relying on the Lord’s presence to sustain you and to reveal and turn away from the sin of anger, pride, control, and/or complaining? God pours His heart into those that pursue Him. Sometimes one’s tears are the pathway to finding God’s comfort, guidance, wisdom, and direction. It is another time, in our sanctification, of growing in godliness, to solely rely on God and not anyone else.
Many years ago, after going through a multitude of trials, I discovered this verse, which I still call my banner verse: “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” Psalm 119:92. Then my prayer became, “Teach me Your Word during this season of my life like I have never known it before and make this verse my testimony when I emerge from this place.” Each adversity allows us to draw on and experience God’s faithfulness more deeply and to root out any false idols we may be worshipping.
So, if you are or in the future going through a time of the “Valley of Weeping” bring your pain to the Lord. Psalm 9:9-10 states, “The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.” Reach out to Him, seek Him first above anyone else. He is our hope, even while going through the “Valley of Weeping.” There will be an end, and it will be for God’s glory as you begin to grow stronger in God’s strength, as you seek Him with all your heart, soul, and mind (Deut. 4:29). Then rest in Psalm 84:11, “For the LORD God is our sun and shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”
Listen to Matthew West “Chosen” (Lyric Video)