The Valley of Tears
Sharon Betters
Today’s Treasure
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Dear Friends,
A few years after the fatal car accident of our son Mark and his friend, Kelly, Chuck preached a series of messages on Psalm 84. Still deeply grieving, the words of this beautiful Psalm soothed my soul and gave me hope and direction for navigating my “new normal” without our youngest child.
Charles Spurgeon called Psalm 84, The Pearl of Psalms:
“This sacred ode is one of the choicest of the collection; it has a mild radiance about it, entitling it to be called The Pearl of Psalms. If the twenty-third be the most popular, the one-hundred- and-third the most joyful, the one-hundred-and-nineteenth the most deeply experimental, the fifty-first the most plaintive, this is one of the most sweet of the Psalms of peace.” (The Treasury of David)
In a world wracked with conflict and hatred, my heart aches for a Psalm of peace. I bet yours does, too. The Psalmist paints a lovely picture of God’s redeeming love and encourages readers to remember it is in His presence we experience genuine joy and peace. Yet, this is not a sugary sweet Psalm with no understanding of real life. The writer acknowledges our lives are often a hard journey and circumstances sometimes drag us through a “valley of tears”. Yet, instead of such a journey sapping us of our energy and leaving us weary, he declares those who are seeking the Lord gain strength with each new day:
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.
Not only do we gain strength, we leave puddles of grace for those coming behind us.
Are you longing for peace? Not only peace, but a way to encourage others through the chaos? Come along with me as we dig deep into The Pearl of Psalms and discover treasures designed to turn our hearts toward Jesus, the Giver of Peace.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Right around the time, Chuck preached this series, a new worship song, In Your Presence by Paul Wilbur succinctly captured the heart of Psalm 84. Let these words settle into your mind as you go about your day.
In Your Presence
Paul Wilbur
In Your presence, That's where I am strong
In Your presence, O Lord my God
In Your presence, That's where I belong
Seeking Your face, Touching Your grace
In the cleft of the Rock, In Your presence O God
I want to go where the rivers cannot overflow me
Where my feet are on the rock
I want to hide where the blazing fire cannot burn me
In Your presence O God I want to hide
Where the flood of evil cannot reach me
Where I'm covered by the blood
I want to be where the schemes of darkness cannot touch me
In Your presence O God
You are my firm foundation
I trust in You all day long
I am Your child and Your servant
And You are my strength and my song
You're my song
Seeking Your face
Touching Your grace
In the cleft of the Rock
In Your presence O God
In Your presence
Songwriters: DESHAZO B LYNN, In Your Presence, O God lyrics © Integrity'S Hosanna Music, Integrity'S Hosanna! Music
More free resources for help, hope, and healing:
MARKINC seeks to help men and women grow in their faith so that they are better equipped to face the trials and suffering that they will encounter in life. In His Grip is the preaching and teaching ministry of Dr. Chuck F. Betters from 45+ years in church ministry. Click to learn more about In His Grip
About the Author: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Sunday, 21 July 2024.
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