Christ’s People in the Valley

Christ’s People in the Valley

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

Psalm 84:6

Christ does more than sympathize and empathize with us in the ‘valley of weeping.’  The verse which precedes the text upon which we are dwelling refers to those whom we may describe as our fellow believers.  It says of them, ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.’ While we appreciate beyond measure the fact that Christ sympathizes and empathizes with us, there are moments when the understanding of another human being is important.  We need to know that someone else, who is altogether as we are, has passed through this same ‘valley of weeping.’  To that end, Christ enables the person described in verse 5 to ‘make it a well.’  Herein lies the benefit of one person’s experience to another person who is enduring ‘the valley of weeping.’  By giving us certain experiences in life, Christ prepares us and uses us to benefit those who come behind us.  Of many experiences in life, Christ may say to us, ‘What I do, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.’  Very often, it is only much later in life, that we come to understand that our most devastating experiences serve the purpose of enabling us to ‘dig a well’ for the benefit of those who come behind us.  We become like Christ and are able to sympathize and empathize with others, based upon our own experience.

Our All-Sufficient God,
we rejoice that You provide for us those who have been where we are.
We praise You that by their experience,
we can benefit as we continue to follow You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning