Passing through the valley of [1]Baca they make it a [2]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings. (Psalm 84:6 NASB)Footnotes:
- Psalm 84:6 Probably, Weeping; or Balsam trees
- Psalm 84:6 Or place of springs
As I got in to work this morning – I came in early – the Lord told me He wanted me to blog on His Faithfulness…
I asked Him for a scripture and He gave me the one above…
I have been walking this…
He is Enough…
He is Enough…
He is Enough…
It is when we have no where else to go and we cry and complain and cry out and moan and complain and cry out and bash our fists against the ground or the desk or whatever else – it is when we are “at the end of our rope” and “the end of our tether” or whatever other turn of phrase you would like to use – that God gets our attention – He shows us that He has been here all along just watching and waiting for us to get to this point so that He can show us the truth…
That He is Faithful…
What?
What are you talking about Andrew?
He is Faithful – He stands back – He lets us “go crazy” and try everything we can to “sort life out” – to “sort out” our pain and suffering and try to “fix” our problems – He stands back silently yet lovingly and He waits – He waits for us to give up…
What?
What sort of God is that?
What on earth are you on about Andrew?
But this is what He does – and then in the silence once we’ve breathed our last exhausted complaining breath and we sit there exhausted (I am speaking from experience) – He then talks to us – He’s been there all along – He wanted us to “get our heart out” before Him and then He shows us that He is the Truth and that He is the Way and that He is the Life and that He is Faithful…
He doesn’t “rescue us” from our problems like we do our children in “human compassion”…
He is Strong and He is in control of His Emotions – He holds in check the pain which He feels as we stumble aimlessly through life – He sees our pain but He doesn’t rescue us and He doesn’t answer our demands to “make it all go away”, “fix my life”, “make me happy”, “sort it out”, “what did I do to deserve this?” – He doesn’t answer our demands but He waits until we are silent – in His Presence – and then He speaks words of life – until we get “to the end of ourselves” there is nothing He can do – it would be like putting a band aid on the problem – that is not a solution and our God is a God of solutions not problems…
Everything comes clear when we come into the Presence of God and all the “fight” is “knocked out” of us…
It’s a place of quietness – of peace – of rest – of stillness – and then He speaks…
He speaks of His Faithfulness…
We see His Heart…
He cannot operate when we are in control..
He “stands back” and He waits…
He waits for us to stop…
And once we stop He picks us up, “dusts us off” and begins to use us for His Purposes and for His Glory…
He can do “nothing” with us until we “stop”…
Nothing…
And He knows this…
So He works this patience in us…
To stop…
To wait…
To give up…
To sit quietly before Him after exhausting all our efforts and just to “flop” before He in complete despair and despondency – in dejection after failing to achieve what we’ve been trying to achieve – thinking that it is the end – and He suddenly shows us – to our amazement or to our absolute surprise – that it is actually only the beginning…
New beginnings come out of death experiences…
The Valley of Baca – or weeping…
He makes it a place of springs – new beginnings, new life – freshness – clarity – clearness…
He makes it a place of springs…
How?
He meets us in our weeping – when our weeping ceases being tears of selfish sorrow and turns to an earnest waiting on Him – a realisation that our lives are nothing without Him and that we’ve blamed Him for things which are not His Fault – He is Faithful…
He meets us in our admission of His Faithfulness…
He meets us in our admission of our trust in His Faithfulness…
He meets us in our admission of our trust in His Love – His Unconditional Love – for us which makes Him Faithful to us…
Everything is for our good – even our pain…
Everything is for our good – even our pleasure…
Everything is for our good – even our suffering and heartache…
Everything is for our good – whether we realise it at the time or whether we do not – everything is for our good…
Why?
Because He causes all things to work together for good towards those who love Him – that’s us – His children…
We love Him…
We do – and He sees our hearts…
Beyond all the “refuse” (think human excrement for the sake of the analogy) that comes out of us at times – He sees our hearts and He sees that we love Him…
He will remove all this “refuse” from us and make us to see His Face and when we see His Face – whether in Heaven or on earth – we will see that He is Absolutely 100% Faithful…
Faithful to His word – Faithful to His Promises…
His word is truth and His Promises are sure…
They are sure – and they will surely – each and every one of them – come to pass…
They are immutable because He is Immutable – every single word which comes from His Mouth is Immutable – I am not speaking of words of “judgement” which can be “prayed against” – I am speaking of every word of Promise – for our good, to give us a future and a hope – which has ever come out of His Mouth – His Word to His children is sure – there is a future hope for us and our hope will not be cut off…
We may see this on earth or we may see this in heaven – that is His prerogative – but we will see Him – and His Faithfulness towards us – and our hearts will be melted in love towards Him who has loved us from before the beginning of time…
We have always been on His Heart – we have always been in His Heart – He is inseparable from us and we are inseparable from Him…
What did He do to His Own Son – His Own Beloved Son?
Think about that…
Why do we believe that we will be any different?
His ways are not our ways and His ways are beyond finding out…
He speaks and listening to His Voice new life the dead receive…
So it is with us…
We receive His Life when He speaks to us – when He speaks to us in our barrenness and in our hopelessness – when He speaks we revive and we live…
I love you all – all who read here…
I pray that You would know His Faithfulness in your lives…
I pray that You would excel me in knowing His Faithfulness in your lives – let us excel each other in knowing Him and His Love for us…
Love you all,
Andrew
a house of prayer for the nations 