Rain for Thirsty Pilgrims

Ps 84:5-7
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
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.
NKJV

It is in the time of dryness that the need for rain is most urgently felt. Appreciation grows with scarcity. Longing is generated through denied desire. Just as we long for autumn rains after a long parched summer, so also we should thirst for the presence and fellowship of God.

Baca literally means weeping. It is a type of balsam plant that can survive in very dry conditions. The one whose strength is in the Lord, who sees this life from Heaven’s perspective, can go through the driest valley, the valley of weeping, and make it a spring. A place where rain is so abundant it pools on the arid ground. Their strength does not depend on their surroundings, but rather on the knowledge that they are only passing through. The valley is only a small part of the journey. They have the end in sight, one that makes the valley pale in comparison.

My soul is yearning for Your living stream.
My heart is aching for You.
All that I long for is found in Your heart
You are everything I need.
You are the thirst, You are the stream.
You are the hunger living deep inside of me.
You are the food that satisfies.
You are provision for the journey of our lives.
You are everything. You are.
(You are Everything, Brian Doerksen and Steve Mitchinson)