The Valley of Baca

Psalms chapter 84:
5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

The Valley of Baca was a miserable, dry, and barren land, totally unfit for sustained human habitation. It was a place you never wanted to be. In my mind I see visions of cowboys in the old western movies who are crawling through the desert, barely alive, trying to reach a watering hole where they can be refreshed and renewed. Have you ever watched this scene played out and seen the extreme joy on the face of the cowboy when he finally reaches the water? It's like he's arrived at the gates of Heaven. He shouts and laughs and hoops and hollers and quite often dances with joy!

Other scenes show the cowboy arriving at the watering hole, and finding it dry and dusty. His face shows bitter disappointment, anger, and disgust, and quite often, he yells out, "Why me God?" If any answer comes, it's normally a wolf howl. Another scene that sometimes plays out, the cowboy arrives at the water hole only to find bitter sulphur water that is undrinkable. This scene often plays out with the cowboy stretched out on the ground crying his heart out in sorrow.

We all pass through the Valley of Baca in our lives. We all have times when we thirst for the Living Water, and it seems to be out of reach. It seems we'll never get another drink, and quite often we become discouraged. Financial problems, marital problems, addictions, and a host of other circumstances quite often leave us thirsting for a touch from God. As we go through the Valley of Baca, our outcome is largely determined by the life we've lived up to that point. If we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and have dug wells by implanting His Word into our hearts, we will find fresh drink. His Word promises us that! But if we don't know Jesus, and don't know that He is the one we need to reach out to, our wells will be empty, dusty, and dry. And I envision those who, at one time, knew Jesus and have turned away from Him may find water, but it may well be bitter and sulphurous.

We need to dig a well! We need to have ample knowledge of the Word of God stored deep in our hearts so that when we do pass through the Valley of Baca, we will be filled with fresh, drinkable, Living Water to carry us through. No matter what circumstances are in our lives, we can dig a well. Trials and tribulations are sure to come our way, but we can dig a well and be prepared. Notice the end of verse 6, "the rain also filleth the pools." I view this as a promise that if we have dug our wells, God will supernaturally make fertile ground for us, even in the most dry and barren lands we will ever encounter! Dig a well my friends! The rains are coming!

Tags: faith, promise, sermon

Comment by Marsha Dance on June 25, 2009 at 9:43am: Thank you for offering this excellent analogy and timely message.

Comment by Ken Rich on June 27, 2009 at 12:28am: Amen to that Brother! What a nice piece you wrote, very encouraging.

Comment by John Daniels on July 6, 2009 at 10:37am: Jack,

The article that you wrote is a very encouraging Word. The valley of Baca reminds me also of Hosea 3: 14-17 about the valley of Achor. Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wildneress, and speak COMFORTABLY unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor (Trouble) FOR A DOOR OF HOPE: and she shall SING there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi (my husband) and shalt call me NO MORE BAALI (My Lord or My master). For I will take away the name sof Baalim out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

Many times our troubles come from a lukewarm relationship with God as only our Lord (just as one would have with any heathen "god"). Our passionate Savior gives us the valley of Achor (trouble) to bring us back to our first love, our intimate love for our Savior as our husband. It is then, of all places, in the valley of trouble, that we are allured by our Ishi, we are restored, comforted, our joy restored and we can again sing songs of victory. The earth has to be prepared to receive the rain before the fruit can grow. It is the ploughing of our hardened hearts that brings us back to the place in Him where our hearts are ready to receive the refreshing rain of His Holy Spirit.

A couple of years ago, the Lord gave me a dream about the rain. This dream took place in a cemetery ( a place of death). People of all races, gender and age were at this cemetery for the burial of the dead. I began to worship the Lord and the heavens opened to reveal a great celebration. As I began to worship from the depths of my spirit, the people around me began to repent and worship also. Then the scene that I saw began to crumble and fall back to the earth as a transparent, crystal (healing) rain. I was singing the song, "Healing Rain." I love that song but in reality I do not know the words but in the dream, I knew them and was singing them all. YES, my friend, the rain is coming to those that's hearts have been prepared in the valley Baca and the valley of Achor.

God bless you!

Comment by John Daniels on July 6, 2009 at 10:39am: By the way, this comment on your article is from me, Carolyn Williams Daniels, not my husband John.

Comment by Jack Hoover on July 6, 2009 at 11:20am: Thank you Carolyn. I get so excited when I think about the purity of the rains that are coming to cleanse this world of unrighteousness and sorrows. Jesus Christ will be crowned the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! I am so ready for that glorious day! One of my favorite old time hymns is "It Won't Be Very Long!" It won't be very long, it won't be very long, til Jesus shall appear, that golden day is drawing near. Will you be ready then to meet the ransomed throng. Get ready for that, it won't be very long!