The Coshocton County Beacon June 3, 2020 | Page 19

June 3, 2020 The Beacon • 19
Pilgrims before God
“Blessed are those whose
strength is in you, whose
hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through
the Valley of Baka, they
make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover
it with pools.They go from
strength to strength, till
each appears before God in
Zion.” —Psalm 84: 4-7.
I was talking the other
morning with a friend about
a car accident that had happened
in front of his house.
It sounds like it was a horrible
thing. A 4-year-old
was ejected from her car
seat. She hit the seat in
front of her on the way by
to the windshield, leaving
a shattering of glass 3 feet
wide after she got there. In
addition to bone fractures
in both legs, she sustained
what was described as an
open cranium fracture. It
took the life flight squad 30
minutes to get her stabilized
enough to transport her.
My friend ministered on
the spot to the family with
transportation and words
of encouragement. From
that initial conversation, he
and his wife may well have
some potential follow-up
ministry scheduled for the
future to talk with the family
about how to process and
proceed with life in the face
of such a tragedy.
These friends are strong
Christians who aren’t shy to
share strongly with others
the reasons for their hope.
They also are people who
know firsthand what it is
like to experience overwhelming
circumstances.
They lost both their sons in
a car accident many years
ago. They know firsthand
what it is like to go from
strength to strength until
they saw God.
“The Valley of Baka,”
I wondered what that was
about, so I looked it up.
“Baka” is translated as a dry
region or perhaps a difficult,
sorrowful life. If Baka
is a physical place, commentators
suggest one location
might be the Valley of
Achor, the site of Achan’s
sin where he stole for himself
plunder that should
have been left untouched.
A lot of pain and suffering
for many including Achan
Pastor
Mike Jansen
Everyday God
and his family happened
soon after. In that region
are several varieties of trees
referred to as weeping trees.
They drip resin in the shape
of “gum-like tears.”
Having observed as well
as experienced a bit of tragedy
across the years, I note
three common responses.
The first response is to
cry in complete denial of
any hope of healing. Recoveries
are slim for the folks
unable to move past this
arena. One is never able to
escape the pain.
The second is to pull the
covers over the festering
wound, pretending it isn’t
there. But this too is still
denying any opportunity
for healing. The pain is still
there, in spite of pretending
it isn’t, and it still hurts
deeply.
The last response is
really the only way out
of the mess. A pilgrimage
must happen: a hand-outstretched,
wide-eyed search
for God with the expectation
that at the end of the
journey wholeness and healing
will be experienced. A
scar or two may remain,
reminding us of what once
had happened. But it also
reminds us of what has been
accomplished: healing.
Note the progression of
the journey in the verses.
Step one, put strength in
God as opposed to self:
belief in the Bible, the verses,
the promises, Jesus —
everything. You don’t have
to start out by feeling it; you
just have to believe it is true.
One more thing, a pilgrimage
isn’t just a journey.
It is a purposeful and
intentional traveling toward
a sacred place, a place of
understanding and wholeness.
It means you are going
to have troubles and trials
along the way, and you will
have to keep walking until
you get there.
The verse continues saying
as the pilgrim travels
through the Valley of Baka,
that difficult and sorrowful
place, it’s turned into
a place of springs and the
rain forms pools. How does
that happen, the appearance
of life-giving springs and
pools? It starts to happen the
first time you pull through a
day without going to pieces.
Maybe a friend helped you
through a tough spot, you
read an encouraging Bible
verse or the LORD sent a
window full and beyond of
sun into your living room.
Then another day comes
along. And then another.
It starts to sink in that in
spite of wanting to die, you
are living, you are functioning.
You wonder how. You
find yourself dwelling a little
more on scriptures. You
start noting beautiful things
are still happening around
you. You look at the blessings
that are yet continuing.
I guess they were there all
along, but you start to see
them again.
Our passage study ends
with the note, “They go
from strength to strength, till
each appears before God in
Zion.” For the pilgrim who
walks through the weeping
valley all the way to the end,
they will end up in front of
God. I am not talking about
the end of life but the beginning
of it.
Think of the times in
your life you thought you
couldn’t take another step.
You couldn’t let go of something
or someone. And you
thought you would never
get over it. I don’t know
about you, but for me there
have been plenty of those
days. Yet here I am. I am
healed. I am whole. I am
refreshed with his living
waters. And all this has happened
because at the end
of my pilgrimage, I found
God.
Like the psalm and the
song say, “Better is one day
in your courts than thousands
elsewhere.” If you’ve
had a wreck in your life that
is threatening you or a loved
one to bleed out, begin the
journey. Get life lifted out
of that mess. Keep traveling
from spring to spring, walking
toward God. Stay the
course. Don’t stop until you
get there. Let it be so. Let it
be soon. Amen.
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