“Happy are the people whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a source of springwater; even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion” (Ps. 84:5–7).

The holy pilgrim (i.e., the one journeying to Zion whose strength is in God) is called “happy.” But this passage also implies that God’s pilgrims will experience the Valley of Baca, also known as the Valley of Weeping. Suffering is inevitable for those who live the God-life, but pilgrims “make it a source of springwater” and “blessings” as they pass through.

Notice that, although Christians do have to pass through valleys of suffering, we don’t have to camp out there; even during great sorrow, God provides refreshment.

Veteran backpackers know that sometimes a spring seems to appear out of nowhere, from a fracture in a rock wall, for example — but at other times, you have to dig for it. Sometimes, grace provides unexpected refreshment in the midst of pain — but other times, grace provides the strength to “dig for it.” Either way, God is omnipresent, which boils down to this: Wherever you go, there He is. Even in your valley, He’s beside you, in you, all around you.

Today, if you’re trekking through a valley, determine that you won’t get stuck there. Drink deeply of the springwater and autumn rains, and hold tightly to the promise that the pilgrim who keeps moving forward will “appear before God in Zion” (v. 7). In the end, your reward will be a face-to-face encounter with the Lord.