Treasures of Darkness

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, til each appears before God in Zion." Psalm 84:5

This has always been one of my favorite passages. It captures the heart of a Christian longing for a better place, realizing that we are moving towards something greater. The pilgrimage is our faith walk as we journey home and the reward is looking into the eyes of Christ. Three things are required to come in for this blessing based on this passage.

The first prerequisite in receiving this blessing is the necessity of finding our strength in the Lord. We as Christians are guaranteed of a journey through circumstances that will require strength we do not possess on our own. This statement is the absolute belief that seeking strength in anything else other than God will cause us to fall short on our journey through life.

The second prerequisite is having a heart of pilgrimage and recognizing that we are in this world but are not of this world. Our hearts are set on something better, something grander and something perfect – our heavenly home. While pilgrims would stake their tents, it was always understood that their tents served as temporary homes. They maintained a heart of moving forward, not driving their stakes deep in any one area. The spirit of pilgrimage is always pleasing to God.

The third prerequisite is the ability to find and trust God in suffering. The Valley of Baca represents the dark and sorrowful circumstances through which we suffer during our journey. As we pass through our adversities, we can convert our trials into pools of testimonies and glory to God. ‘These indomitable souls can sing in the midst of sorrow and trace the rainbow through their tears. They transform tragedies into triumphs and use misfortunes as stepping stones to greater things…Instead of getting weaker as the journey progresses, they get stronger all the time.’ Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 678.

The key to this kingdom of blessing is the rain of the Holy Spirit that covers, cools, refreshes and restores. The water itself stands for the Word of God and the rain as a whole is the work of the Holy Spirit.

I love the words of Leslie Weatherhead: ‘Like all men I love and prefer the sunny uplands of experience, where health, happiness, and success abound, but I have learned far more about God and life and myself in the darkness of fear and failure than I have ever learned in the sunshine. There are such things as the treasures of darkness. The darkness, thank God, passes. But what one learns in the darkness one possesses for ever.’

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.”