Oh, to have the heart of the sons of Korah . . . the heart that seeks the presence of God . . . the heart that is prepared to do the journey in order to be in His courts. You got to love Psalm 84! If ever there was a psalm that invited meditation, it’s this psalm . . . if ever there was a song that stirred the soul, it’s this song. You can sense the intensity of the composers’ desire for the courts of the LORD . . . the longing to be as close to Him as a man can be to God . . . to the point of fainting with desire. With just a couple of seconds of consideration you can’t help but whisper, “Amen” as the declaration that a day in the presence of God is better than a thousand anywhere else . . . to be but a doorkeeper in dwelling place of God, far superior to living in any luxury mansion this world has to offer.

But this morning I also noticed that, at some point, the path to the dwelling place of the LORD of hosts will invariably take us through the Valley of Baca.

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.   (Psalm 84:5-7 ESV)

It’s the only mention of the Valley of Baca in the Scriptures . . . literally it’s “the Valley of Tears” . . . or “the Valley of Weeping.” Baca is also the word used for the balsam trees mentioned in 2Sam. 5:23-25 . . . described by one commentator as a large bush, packed with thorns, which could not be passed through without labor and tears.

For the worshiper of God . . . for those who have set their internal GPS on Zion . . . who have the highways to the Holy marked on their hearts . . . who “have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem” (NLT) . . . they can know that their travels will, at some point, take them through the Valley of Baca . . . the lowland of thorns. Not necessarily catastrophe . . . but painful experiences nevertheless . . . the type of stuff that’s gonna make you cry.

But for the worshiper of God . . . doing the thorns . . . get scuffed up on the journey . . . is worth it. It is worth it because of the destination, but it is worth it too, because of what they learn during the journey. Because they experience the LORD of hosts as their strength. The tears shed in the valley make it a place of refreshing springs as the God of all comfort draws near (2Cor. 1:3-4) . . . heaven’s living water is poured out so that, along the way, oasis after oasis is encountered . . . the ministering, healing rain of God transforms the valleys into pools of His abiding love.

And for the worshiper of God . . . Baca is just the road . . . not the destination. By the promises of the King the pilgrim will find strength to help in time of need . . . they will know the sustaining grace of God during the journey . . . they will know the energizing power of the Spirit as He leads them to the Father’s throne . . . where each one will, to be sure, “appears before God in Zion.”

Oh, if I could avoid the Valley of Baca, I would . . . but not if it prevented me from reaching His courts . . . not if it kept me from being but a doorkeeper in His house for even a day.

The path of God may take us through the thorns and the place of weeping . . . but the promises of God are sufficient for the day and sufficient for the pilgrimage . . . and the place of God is so worth the trip.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You!   (Psalm 84:11-12 ESV)