THE QUEST FOR GOD (Part 18).
Psalm 84. Verses 4 – 6 read:
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: They will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; In whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; The rain also filleth the pools.
Yesterday, we saw how the sons of Korah focused on the glory of God’s presence, which ignited in them a strong quest for God. As temple attendants, they were aware of the blessedness of dwelling in God house. Indeed, God’s presence is saturated with his grace and goodness, and those who dwell there become beneficiaries of the benevolence of God. They also live ever praising the living God. The truth is that, men are destined to keep their focus on God and thereby become partakers of his goodness.
Men may live their lives by either depending on the arm of flesh or by the power of God. The arm of flesh, which describes human strength, is bound to fail in the face of certain challenges. This is not the case for divine strength; it prevails in the face of any adversity and every challenge. Against this background, the sons of Korah declared that blessed is the man whose strength is in God and in whose heart are the ways of God. Here, we see two factors that attract the blessings of God upon those who seek him:
- Keeping one’s strength in God. We do so by imbibing the word of God and being filled with the spirit of God. This is the norm for men who are in the pursuit of God.
- Keeping the ways of God in our hearts. This refers to lives that uphold the standards of God and would not compromise it for anything. This is equally a mark of men who crave for God.
Beloved, life can be viewed as a journey into God’s presence. The earth is the terrain where we embark on our sojourn. An understanding of this will keep us from becoming settlers but pilgrims in life. In the course of our sojourn, all men will pass through their valley of Baca. This is the place of pain and weeping, where one is confronted with very hostile conditions. Where men have drawn on divine strength based on their devotion to God, they establish wells of refreshing in their Baca situations, and they cause rains to fill the pools. Beloved, those who maintain their craving for God, turn out as men who positively impact their world. Yes, out of their needs come inventions, out of their weakness, they make many strong, and out of drought, they refresh multitudes. Before they transit this life into eternal glory, they leave behind indelible marks of God’s goodness upon humanity. Beloved, in our quest for God, many shall be positively impacted.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏