The Valley of Baca

We read in the Psalms, ‘How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring. The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God in Zion.’ Psalm 84:5-7. A valley has long been a symbol for a dark place. Most are familiar with the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ from the well known 23rd Psalm. Today the Valley of Baca is not known as a geographical location, although it may have existed in ancient Palestine. But like Psalm 23, the Valley of Baca represents a dark foreboding time. This contrasts to the symbolism of mountain peaks that refer to the high summit experiences in our lives. Students of the scriptures have interpreted its meaning as the valley of tears, weeping or lamentation. To pass through the Valley of Baca is to know times of trial.

Suffering is part of our human experience. However most of us find it very difficult to accept it. Affliction is incongruous to us. We wonder what has gone wrong, and think that life should not be like this. It should not be happening to us! Peter wrote in his first letter, ‘Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.’ 1 Pet 4:12.

It is in the fiery ordeal, the valley of darkness, that the Lord can catch our attention. He can break in upon us to change us. If we can take hold of the reason for our suffering and accept it as the action of God, our own ‘Valley of Baca’ will transform our lives.

We often confidently assume that our strength is in ourselves, and endeavor, by means of our own strength, to work out ways of avoiding the valley of darkness. So many self-help books today are written from the base of discovering our own inner resources. We are encouraged to place our confidence in ourselves. But the psalmist proclaimed, ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in You’.

Often when faced with a dilemma, we build a case against it to justify our trouble and turmoil. But if we have to validate ourselves or denounce another, we are not accepting the Valley of Baca. Firstly, we have to be willing to walk through it and not try to take a detour. ‘Passing through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring ... They go from strength to strength.’ We must accept the place of suffering, put our faith in God, and commit ourselves to walking through the trial. Then we will ‘make it a spring ’. We too will ‘go from strength to strength ... and ... appear before God in Zion!’

Jan Proud

Return to top

Feature Articles
May 2008

Marvellous Faith

The Living Song

Present Truth

The Faith of Abraham

Wisdom and Folly

The Valley of Baca

The Nature of Business

Willing Obedience

Light to the Nations