Be Still and Know That He Is God

Did you know that you have much to do with whether this year is full of peace and satisfying?  I was reading a passage of scripture the other day and the Holy Spirit showed me something that I had never seen before, something that proves my point.  I was reading Psalm 84.  It says in verses 5-7:

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.

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 he refreshes my soul.  Psalm 23:1-3

First, you should know that the “Valley of Baka” can literally be translated in Hebrew as the “Valley of Weeping.”  In other words, the “Valley of Baka,” as used here, represents any tough, painful place or season along life’s journey.  As I read “they make it a place of springs,” the Holy Spirit stopped me and asked me who makes it a place of springs?  I looked again and saw something that I had never seen before.  It is not God who makes it a place of springs, but those who go through the valley.  Yes, God does have His part to play.  We see in the next phrase that He sends the autumn rains to create pools to refresh us.  But the first phrase is clear that we also have a part to play in the refreshing process.

So what is our part you might ask?  The Lord himself clearly gave the answer to this question in Isaiah 30:15:

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

   “In repentance and rest is your salvation,
   in quietness and trust is your strength . . . .”

Trust.  It all comes down to trust.  If you truly believe that God cares for you, you will not fret.  If you really believe that He takes care of His own children, then you can have peace, even in the valley of weeping.  Remember in these troubling times that your God is for you and not against you.  He is with you.  He has not forgotten you.  Rest.  Be at peace.  He is mighty to save.  Be still and know that He is God.