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Out to me, and it seemed like 
such a wonderful thing. 

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But I was reading through Psalm 
84 in my devotions a few weeks 

3
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ago, and I decided to dive a 
little deeper into a study of 

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this passage. 
And what I found was even more 

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wonderful than what I had 
initially thought. 

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I'm going to read the entire 
chapter. 

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It's not a real long chapter. 
It's just 12 verses here in 

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Psalm 84. 
But I want to pull a few things 

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out of there this morning 
that'll hopefully be a help to 

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us. 
Psalm 84 and verse #1 The Bible 

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says, How amiable are thy 
tabernacles, O Lord of hosts, My

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soul longeth, yeah, even 
fainteth, for the courts of the 

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Lord. 
My heart and my flesh crieth out

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for the living God. 
Yeah, the Sparrow hath found in 

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house, and the swallow and nest 
for herself, where she may lay 

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her young, even thine altars. 
O Lord of hosts, my King and my 

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God, blessed are they that dwell
in thy house. 

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They will still they, they will 
be still praising thee, Seala. 

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Blessed is the man whose 
strength is in thee, in whose 

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heart are the ways of them who, 
passing through the valley of 

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Baca, make it a well. 
The rain also filleth the pools.

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They go from strength to 
strength. 

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Every one of them in Zion 
appeareth before God. 

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O Lord God of hosts, hear my 
prayer, Give ear, O God of 

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Jacob. 
Seala, Behold, O God, our 

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shield, and look upon the face 
of thine anointed, for a day and

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night Courts is better than 
1000. 

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I'd rather be a doorkeeper in 
the House of my God than to 

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dwell in the tents of 
wickedness. 

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For the Lord God is a son and 
shield. 

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The Lord will give grace and 
glory. 

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No good thing will he withhold 
from them that walk uprightly. 

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O Lord of hosts, blessed is the 
man that trusteth in thee. 

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Boy, I tell you what, there's 
there's several verses in there 

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that really stick out and verse 
10 is one of them. 

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I'd rather be a doorkeeper in 
the House of my God than to 

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dwell in the tense of 
wickedness. 

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Verse 11. 
No good thing will he withhold 

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from them that walk uprightly. 
But I want to focus this morning

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on that verse that we find on 
the passage that we find in 

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verse #6 who passing through the
valley of Baca make it a well? 

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Now, baca comes from the Hebrew 
word that is related to weeping 

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or sorrow or tears. 
Nobody really knows exactly 

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where this place is. 
It's been suggested by several 

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scholars that I read that that 
here the word baca is signifying

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some kind of balsam tree. 
The balsam trees would flourish 

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in a valley. 
They love the dry places, the 

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the dry areas. 
But balsams also have a sort of 

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a of a weeping because of the 
SAP that flows out of them. 

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And so the valley of Baca was 
some waterless, gloomy valley 

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that the pilgrims would have to 
pass through on their way to the

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city of God, on their way to 
Zion, on their way to Jerusalem 

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for worship. 
And so the psalmist here, I 

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believe, is recalling the the 
pilgrims entering this valley 

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with maybe misgivings overnight,
weary and thirsty. 

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And they would find rain 
sometimes in the morning that 

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had filled those pools and 
covered that that barren valley 

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with a carpet of green. 
This was a valley of lamentation

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or a valley of weeping. 
It's probably not even worth the

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attempt anymore at trying to 
figure out exactly where this 

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place is. 
It's, it's long since gone, if 

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it, if it was ever actually a, 
a, a real place. 

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But as useful as a this place is
for us is as a lesson today, 

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it's, it's, it's has so much 
that it represents. 

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In fact, there's, there's the 
possibility, as I just 

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mentioned, that Baca was not 
even a real place at all, but it

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was a symbolic place that so 
many people find themselves in. 

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And it, you know, more than 
likely it was a, it was an 

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actual place that, that the 
pilgrims would have known about 

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the travelers going to Jerusalem
would have known about, because 

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he references it and talks about
it as if it's a place that they,

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that they know. 
But either way, whatever, 

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whatever it happens to be, they 
understood the meaning of what 

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he was talking about passing 
through the valley of Baca and 

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making it a well, it's a place 
of weeping. 

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It's a place of hardship. 
It's a place of, of dryness or 

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trial. 
And, and at the very least, 

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whether it's a real place or 
not, it represents the, the 

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difficulties that we face in 
life, the difficult seasons that

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we go through times of sorrow, 
times of testing times. 

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And, and sadly, we get into this
point as well, But times of 

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spiritual dryness where we just 
feel like we're not close to 

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God, where we just feel like we 
have a hard time praying, where 

84
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we just feel like we have a hard
time reading his word, where we 

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feel like we just have a hard 
time just doing what's right. 

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And it just feels like sometimes
we're just going through the 

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motions. 
We're, we're coming to church 

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and we're involved in ministries
and we're doing things, but it's

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just, it's just spiritually dry.
That's what this valley 

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represents. 
It's the painful or the 

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challenging valleys that we walk
through on our way toward God's 

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presence. 
Every one of us knows what it 

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feels like to walk through a 
valley because we're all humans 

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and all of us will go through 
valleys at some point in our 

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lives. 
Low points, difficult times, 

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hardships, and maybe you're not 
in the middle of a valley right 

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now, but there's a good chance 
that you just came out of one 

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and there's a good possibility 
that you're getting ready to go 

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into one. 
But I know there's a lot of 

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people who are who might be in 
that valley this morning. 

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Some valleys come suddenly, 
maybe a phone call in the middle

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of the night. 
Some of them come on slowly and 

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gradually, through months of 
pressure or discouragement, or 

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in some cases a slow backslide 
away from God and away from His 

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Word and away from the things 
that you know that you should be

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doing. 
But valleys are not just places 

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of pain. 
Now there's, there's many 

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valleys that are mentioned in 
the Bible and, and many times 

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they are there. 
It's it's almost always 

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associated with a, with a low 
spot because it is a low spot, 

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but it's associated with a place
of pain, a place of hardship, a 

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place of difficulty. 
But in Scripture, valleys are 

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often places of transformation. 
And Psalm 84 describes one of 

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those valleys, the valley of 
Baca. 

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It's only mentioned one time in 
the Bible right here in Psalm 

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84, but it is packed with 
meaning. 

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And the psalmist here is showing
us that God can turn valleys of 

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weeping into a place of wells, 
into a place of strength, into a

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place of fellowship with God. 
And so this morning I want to 

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show you some of those things in
this passage. 

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The title of my message is Wells
in the Valley. 

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Wells in the valley. 
Let's pray, and then we'll look 

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at a few things from this 
passage, how God can use this 

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valley in our lives. 
Let's pray. 

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Father, again, we thank you so 
much for your goodness to us. 

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Thank you for the opportunity we
have to be together here this 

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morning. 
I pray that this would be a help

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to us. 
God, I know some people are 

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going through valleys right now.
They're going through 

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difficulties. 
I pray that this would be a help

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to them, those who may not be in
a valley right now, but are most

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likely and most certainly going 
to face a valley at some point 

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in the future. 
God, may this be a help and a 

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reminder to us of the things 
that can be gained in the 

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valley, things that can be 
learned in the valley. 

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May you help us this morning and
thank you again for all you do 

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for us in Jesus name, Amen. 
First thing I want you to see is

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this. 
The valley is a place we all 

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must pass through. 
Now notice here in Psalm 84, 

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keep a bookmark there, if you 
will. 

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00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,520
We're going to come back. 
We don't have a lot of different

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00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,480
passages to turn to this 
morning, but I do have a few and

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00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,520
and we'll be coming back to 
Psalm 84. 

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But there in verse #6 the Bible 
says, who passing through the 

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valley of Baca make it a well. 
And I don't mean to hammer this 

146
00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,720
point, but I want to mention 
this again to help you 

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understand what I'm trying to 
say here. 

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This this is a valley of 
weeping. 

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It's a valley of sorrow. 
It's a valley of dryness. 

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And it represents those seasons 
of grief, the seasons of loss, 

151
00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,720
the seasons of discouragement, 
the seasons of spiritual 

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dryness, the seasons of 
unanswered question tears, 

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00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,400
seasons of tears that you cry 
when nobody else sees. 

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And here's the thing, Sometimes 
we bring those seasons upon 

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ourselves. 
Sometimes that spiritual dryness

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is our own fault. 
Sometimes that, that, that that 

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00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,400
hardship that comes, we, we 
bring those problems onto 

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ourselves. 
But sometimes we're just living 

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our spiritual life. 
And God brings trials into our 

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lives the same way that he did 
with Job. 

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00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,920
Job didn't do anything to bring 
that trial on himself other than

162
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live up right before God. 
And Satan came to God and said, 

163
00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,280
Hey, here's a man that I know 
will curse you to your face if 

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you allow hardships to come. 
And God said, all right, let the

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hardships come, Job wasn't doing
anything wrong. 

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Now many times, I believe many 
times, we do bring the problems 

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on ourselves, but sometimes 
they're not problems of of our 

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00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,679
own making at all. 
Has nothing to do with us. 

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But here we find ourselves in 
the middle of a valley. 

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But sometimes there are things 
that just come upon us as 

171
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trials. 
But notice what the psalmist 

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00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:47,520
says. 
Actually notice what he doesn't 

173
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say. 
He doesn't say who's staying in 

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the valley of Baca. 
Make it a well, what does he 

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say? 
He says who passing through the 

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valley, turn over to Psalm 23. 
See, every believer has valleys.

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Everybody goes through difficult
things, but valleys were never 

178
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meant to be the final 
destination. 

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Probably the other. 
I mean, as I mentioned, there's 

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a lot of valleys that are 
mentioned in the Bible, but 

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probably the one of the, but one
of the probably the only other 

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one that you would know if I 
asked you to mention a specific 

183
00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,240
valley that the Bible talks 
about in relation to a 

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difficulty or a trial would be 
in Psalm 23. 

185
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And he says this, Yeah, though I
walk through the valley of the 

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00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,280
shadow of death, I will fear no 
evil, for thou art with me. 

187
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,440
Thy rod and thy staff, they 
comfort me. 

188
00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,360
See, valleys were never meant to
be the final destination. 

189
00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,640
Sometimes we have to walk 
through a valley. 

190
00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,120
And that's what he's saying. 
It's a he's in Psalm 23. 

191
00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,640
He's using this as a, as a 
metaphor to say that, that 

192
00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,120
sometimes you are going to go 
through difficult things and 

193
00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,120
it's going to feel like the 
shadow of death is hanging over 

194
00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,480
you. 
But he says, yeah, though I walk

195
00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,720
through that valley sometimes. 
And that's exactly what the 

196
00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:03,600
psalmist is saying here in Psalm
84. 

197
00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:07,240
Who passing through the valley 
of Baca, you're going to make it

198
00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,640
out on the other side? 
There's a phrase that I love 

199
00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:15,960
that's mentioned in the Bible 
453 times that says this. 

200
00:10:16,680 --> 00:10:22,120
And it came to pass. 
And it came to pass. 

201
00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,120
Everything always comes to pass.
If you woke up today in a 

202
00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,880
valley, don't unpack your bags 
and settle in. 

203
00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:30,920
God didn't bring you there to 
stay. 

204
00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,560
He brought you there to lead you
through that valley. 

205
00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:37,040
It will come to pass. 
You just have to keep walking 

206
00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,320
through that valley because all 
of us have to go through the 

207
00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,160
valley sometimes. 
Now He might have some valuable 

208
00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,240
lessons to teach you on the way 
through that valley, but a 

209
00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,320
valley is meant to pass through.
I want you to see this number 2.

210
00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,880
If you turn back over there to 
Psalm 84, the valley is a place 

211
00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,920
we all must pass through, but 
the valley is a place that 

212
00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,160
proves where our strength comes 
from. 

213
00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,320
The valley is a place that 
proves where our strength comes 

214
00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,600
from. 
Psalm 84, I'm sorry and verse #5

215
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:13,840
the Bible says blessed is the 
man whose strength is in Thee. 

216
00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,560
See, God often lets us walk 
through valleys not to break us,

217
00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,840
but to show us what we're 
depending on. 

218
00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,280
And sometimes that valley 
exposes our own 

219
00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:28,160
self-sufficiency. 
Sometimes that valley exposes 

220
00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:33,000
our own pride. 
It exposes our own hidden fear. 

221
00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,760
It exposes our own misplaced 
confidence. 

222
00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,960
But when our human strength, 
strength runs out, that's when 

223
00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,520
God's strength begins. 
The sooner we come to the 

224
00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,880
realization that our strength is
not enough, the sooner we can 

225
00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,480
understand that our real 
strength comes from God anyway. 

226
00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,160
The sooner we come to an end of 
ourselves, the sooner we come to

227
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,640
the source of our true strength.
You cannot do it alone, 

228
00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,120
especially when you're going 
through a difficult time, 

229
00:11:58,200 --> 00:11:59,920
especially when you're going 
through a valley. 

230
00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,680
You cannot do it alone. 
That's what Psalm 23 is all 

231
00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,240
about. 
The Lord is my shepherd. 

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And so everywhere I go, He is 
there leading me and guiding me.

233
00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,960
And He's with me. 
Yeah, though I walk through the 

234
00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:15,040
valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for thou art 

235
00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,960
with me. 
Thy rod and thy staff, they 

236
00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,400
comfort me, right? 
It doesn't have anything to do 

237
00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,040
with the sheep. 
It has everything to do with the

238
00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,400
shepherd. 
And that's the point that we 

239
00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,440
have to understand here. 
Blessed is the man whose 

240
00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,440
strength is in thee. 
I read a story about a young man

241
00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,600
who decided that he wanted to 
climb a mountain that he had 

242
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,000
seen all his life. 
It wasn't a it wasn't a Everest.

243
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,120
It wasn't dangerous. 
It was just really it was a 

244
00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,760
tall, rugged hill that that he 
had seen in the distance his 

245
00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:44,680
entire life. 
And finally one morning, he 

246
00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:46,520
decided, I'm going to climb that
mountain. 

247
00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,440
And so he he grabbed a bottle of
water, he laced up his shoes and

248
00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,840
he walked out of the house and 
he started up that mountain that

249
00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:54,440
he had been seeing his entire 
life. 

250
00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,080
And he said in his mind, he 
thought, I'm, I'm strong enough.

251
00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,160
I've got this. 
I've been looking at this 

252
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,000
mountain long enough, I'm going 
to climb it. 

253
00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:04,960
And so for the first half of the
climb, he felt great. 

254
00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,840
The sun was shining, the breeze 
was was cool. 

255
00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,040
The ground was steady underneath
of his feet. 

256
00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,360
And he kept thinking, I knew I 
could handle this. 

257
00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,280
I've seen that mountain my 
entire life and it always looked

258
00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,880
like an obstacle that I can 
never climb, but I knew I can 

259
00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,040
handle this. 
But about halfway up the climb 

260
00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,400
suddenly changed. 
Makes me think of the, the hike 

261
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,600
that we took with the teenagers 
just a little bit ago when we 

262
00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,960
were in the mountains, the it's 
called the Devil's Marble Yard. 

263
00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,160
It was a nice little hike until 
all the sudden we turned into 

264
00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,280
this massive, massive stones 
everywhere and we had to climb 

265
00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,040
these stones. 
It was a great hike, but that's 

266
00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:39,800
what I think of when I think of 
this story. 

267
00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,640
But halfway up, he got to the 
point where he started thinking,

268
00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,480
you know what? 
Maybe I don't have this. 

269
00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,120
Maybe I'm not as strong as I 
thought I was. 

270
00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,000
The rocks got loose, the sun got
hotter, sweat poured down his 

271
00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,920
face, his legs started 
trembling. 

272
00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,320
The rocks started moving 
underneath of him a little bit, 

273
00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:58,960
and he started to get a little 
bit scared. 

274
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:02,920
The next thing you know, and he 
slipped and he fell and he 

275
00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,120
scraped his hand and he got up 
and he kept going, but he 

276
00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,120
slipped and he fell again and he
scraped his knee on a rock and 

277
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,600
he got up and he kept going. 
He said, I'm going to make it to

278
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,000
the top of this mountain. 
I know I can make it to the top 

279
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,560
of this mountain. 
He slipped and he fell again. 

280
00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:17,040
And that time he just stayed 
down there on his knees. 

281
00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:20,040
He was on a rock that was kind 
of balanced on what he felt like

282
00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,040
was a little bit of a precarious
situation. 

283
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,560
And he didn't. 
He was too weak to go back down 

284
00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,120
and too unsure of himself to go 
back down because of the places 

285
00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:28,320
that he had already made it back
up. 

286
00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,080
But he was too. 
It wasn't strong enough to make 

287
00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,160
it back up the mountain. 
And so he was stuck. 

288
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:35,960
No water. 
His bottle of water had run out,

289
00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,480
sweating in this hot sun. 
And now he started to think, 

290
00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,760
maybe I can't do it in my own 
strength. 

291
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,720
It wasn't long after that a 
hiker came up behind him and saw

292
00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:49,480
him in this situation. 
And he stopped. 

293
00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,520
And he said, hey, are you all 
right? 

294
00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:53,520
And he told him about a 
situation. 

295
00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,680
And the hiker said, listen, man,
I've, I've hiked this mountain 

296
00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,360
hundreds of times. 
I know exactly where you need to

297
00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,920
walk to get to the top of that 
mountain without slipping and 

298
00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:02,760
falling. 
You just stay right behind me. 

299
00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:04,840
You stick with my pace and I'll 
get you to the top. 

300
00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,160
And sure enough, they did. 
They made it to the top of that 

301
00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,800
mountain. 
But he realized as he was 

302
00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:12,720
climbing up there, and 
especially once he got to the 

303
00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,280
top, if I had relied on my own 
strength, I never would have 

304
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,840
made it. 
See, the sooner we admit our 

305
00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,920
weakness, the sooner we discover
His power, because the Christian

306
00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,600
life is not about proving how 
strong we are, it's about 

307
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:30,080
discovering how strong God is. 
See, a man doesn't know that God

308
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,920
is all he needs until he 
realizes that God is all he has.

309
00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,280
And that's why many times God 
allows us to go through the 

310
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,360
difficulties and the trials and 
the situations that we find 

311
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,280
ourselves in. 
We have to get in the valley 

312
00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,360
many times for us to understand.
I cannot go through this valley 

313
00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,800
by myself. 
We have to get in difficult 

314
00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,640
situations to help us 
understand. 

315
00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,040
I cannot get myself out of this.
I cannot do it in my own 

316
00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,280
strength. 
I need God's strength. 

317
00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,640
See, the valley strips away 
everything we use to prop 

318
00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,200
ourselves up so we can fully 
lean on Him. 

319
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,720
Stop trying to survive the 
valley in your own strength. 

320
00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,720
God isn't asking you to be 
strong, He's asking you to be 

321
00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:13,000
dependent on Him. 
He doesn't need you to be strong

322
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:14,640
in the difficult times. 
Sure, it helps. 

323
00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,720
Be strong in the Lord, in the 
and in the power of his might. 

324
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:23,160
The Bible says, yes, be strong, 
but be strong in His power, not 

325
00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,000
in your own. 
God doesn't promise a life 

326
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,360
without valleys, but He promises
strength in the valley. 

327
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,720
Your valley will break you if 
you rely on your own strength, 

328
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,960
but it will build you if you 
rely on God's strength when 

329
00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,040
you're going through that 
valley. 

330
00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,400
Because see, valleys are a place
that we all must pass through, 

331
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,400
but a valley is also a place 
that proves where our strength 

332
00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,280
comes from. 
I want you to see this number 3 

333
00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:50,160
back in Psalm 84. 
The valley is a place where God 

334
00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:56,160
provides wells. 
Psalm 84, verse #6 Who passing 

335
00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,800
through the valley of Baca, make
it a well? 

336
00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:06,240
The rain also filleth the pools.
See, only God can turn tears 

337
00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:09,680
into wells. 
Only God can turn dry places 

338
00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:12,839
into springs. 
Only God can turn hard seasons 

339
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,839
in your life into testimonies. 
Only God can turn brokenness 

340
00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:19,920
into blessing. 
Notice the verbs in this verse 

341
00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:22,560
passing through the valley of 
Baca. 

342
00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:25,839
Make it a well. 
That's all responsibility. 

343
00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:28,160
Your responsibility is to dig 
the well. 

344
00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,640
But then it says the rain also 
filleth the pools. 

345
00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,240
That's the responsibility that 
God takes on himself. 

346
00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,880
You can't do nothing about the 
rain, right? 

347
00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,120
You can dig a well. 
You can dig a, a depression in 

348
00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:43,000
the ground and, and, and make it
a place to, to receive water, 

349
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,640
but you can't make the water 
come. 

350
00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:47,040
You can do all the rain dances 
you want. 

351
00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:48,320
You're not going to make it 
rain. 

352
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,200
Only God can, can, can cause it 
to rain. 

353
00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,800
In other words, you dig the 
wells, God sends the rain. 

354
00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,200
Your obedience creates a place 
for God's blessing. 

355
00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,560
Your faith creates a place for 
God's refreshing. 

356
00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,360
Your tears carve out a deeper 
place for God's presence. 

357
00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:08,320
Turn over a few pages back to 
Psalm 56. 

358
00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,160
Psalm 56. 
Maybe you've never seen this 

359
00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,200
verse before, but you know, you 
think about many times you're 

360
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,280
going through a difficult 
situation, you're going through 

361
00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,240
a hard time. 
You're going through a valley 

362
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,400
and you think God does not even 
know that I'm here. 

363
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,280
God doesn't care that I'm here, 
even if he does know that I'm 

364
00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,280
here. 
He's just left me alone. 

365
00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:32,160
He's abandoned me and, and, and,
and theologically speaking, and,

366
00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,560
and when we're, when we're 
thinking clearly, we know that 

367
00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,400
God does not leave us alone. 
We know that God's not just 

368
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,600
going to take us out there and 
abandoned us. 

369
00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,040
But you think about the children
of Israel and that's exactly 

370
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,960
what they thought, right? 
God was there, he was with them 

371
00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,240
the entire time. 
He was overseeing everything 

372
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,400
that was happening. 
He was doing miracles for them 

373
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,200
that they just overlooked. 
He did all kinds of things for 

374
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,000
them. 
And how many times did they just

375
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,560
leave us out in the wilderness 
so that you can abandoned us? 

376
00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:58,400
We'd have been better off in 
Egypt if we did. 

377
00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,120
We had food, at least in Egypt. 
You brought us out here to 

378
00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:04,360
abandon us so that we can die, 
right? 

379
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:08,120
And, and, and, and us looking at
it from from our perspective, we

380
00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:11,640
think, how stupid can you be, 
you Israelites? 

381
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,000
Look at what God's doing for 
you. 

382
00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:16,000
Look how God's leading you. 
Look at the miracles that you've

383
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,520
gotten to see that nobody else 
has ever seen before. 

384
00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,800
Nobody ever saw the Red Sea part
and you walked across on dry 

385
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:24,760
ground. 
You think that was an accident 

386
00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,200
that God wasn't leading you and 
you should have stayed back in 

387
00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,160
Egypt. 
Nobody else had seen manna come 

388
00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,040
from the sky. 
Nobody else had seen quail that 

389
00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,400
provided food for them. 
Nobody else had seen water come 

390
00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,000
from a rock. 
Nobody else had seen bitter 

391
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,760
waters turn to sweet that they 
could drink. 

392
00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,680
Nobody else had seen those 
things happen. 

393
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,800
And yet they still, because they
got into a difficult situation, 

394
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,440
into a dry place, into a place 
where they felt abandoned by 

395
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:51,840
God, they threw their fish up 
and they said, didn't you just 

396
00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,200
bring us out here to kill us? 
You should have just left us in 

397
00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,960
Egypt. 
We get that way in our own lives

398
00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,560
many times. 
God, why are you bringing? 

399
00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,520
Why are you making me go through
this? 

400
00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:05,200
All I'm trying to do is serve 
you. 

401
00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:06,680
All I'm trying to do is live for
you. 

402
00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,800
All I'm trying to do is just do 
the right thing. 

403
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,520
And here you've brought me into 
this valley. 

404
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:12,120
Are you just going to leave me 
here? 

405
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,640
Do you even know that I'm here? 
Can you even see me? 

406
00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:23,760
Look at the Bible says in Psalm 
56 and verse #8 Thou tellest my 

407
00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:29,360
wanderings. 
Put thou my tears into thy 

408
00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:33,200
bottle. 
Are they not in thy book? 

409
00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:41,160
Isn't that an amazing thing? 
Not only does God know when 

410
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,640
you're in the middle of a 
difficult situation, but He 

411
00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:48,280
keeps track of every single 
tear, puts those tears in a 

412
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,680
bottle. 
He writes them down in his book.

413
00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:53,320
He knows what you're going 
through. 

414
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:55,680
He knows what you're dealing 
with. 

415
00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,000
He didn't leave you in the 
wilderness. 

416
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,960
He didn't bring you into the 
valley to abandon you. 

417
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,560
He's trying to teach you 
something through that valley. 

418
00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,320
God knows exactly what you're 
going through and he's, he's 

419
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,040
watching very closely as you go 
through that valley. 

420
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,000
What looks dry can become a well
turn over to Isaiah 43. 

421
00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:20,320
What looks hopeless becomes a 
pool of refreshing. 

422
00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:23,240
What seems empty becomes filled 
with rain. 

423
00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,400
His grace, His comfort, His 
presence. 

424
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,640
All things you would have never 
experienced if you had never 

425
00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,200
gone through the valley. 
But here's what the Bible says 

426
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:37,640
in Isaiah 43 and verse #1 But 
now thus saith the Lord that 

427
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:42,040
created thee, O Jacob, and he 
that formed thee, O Israel, fear

428
00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:43,840
not. 
I have redeemed thee. 

429
00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,120
I have called thee by thy name. 
Thou art mine. 

430
00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,120
When thou passest through the 
waters, I will be with thee, and

431
00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,720
through the rivers they shall 
not overflow thee. 

432
00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:57,200
When thou walkest through the 
fire, thou shalt not be burned, 

433
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,280
neither shall the flame kindle 
upon thee. 

434
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,560
Chapter 44. 
Verse #2 Thus saith the Lord 

435
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,480
that made thee, and formed thee 
from the womb, which will help 

436
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,160
thee. 
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, 

437
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,760
and thou just you run whom I 
have chosen. 

438
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:18,680
For I will pour water upon him 
that is thirsty, and floods upon

439
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,000
the dry ground. 
I will pour my spirit upon thy 

440
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,480
seed, and my blessing upon thine
offspring. 

441
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,520
God doesn't just bring you 
through the valley of Baca, He 

442
00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,680
brings blessings out of the 
valley of Baca. 

443
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,160
Your valley can become a 
testimony. 

444
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,080
Your valley can become a place 
of deeper prayer. 

445
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,680
Your valley can become a well 
for others to drink from later. 

446
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,880
See, God uses your experiences 
to help someone else along the 

447
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,080
way. 
When the rains came, the valley 

448
00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,120
became a place of blessing, not 
just for you, but for everybody 

449
00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,840
who comes after you. 
You dig a well and God fills it 

450
00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:55,680
with water. 
The people who come after you 

451
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,520
are going to be able to drink 
the water of that well when 

452
00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,120
you're long gone. 
God doesn't just bring you 

453
00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:05,280
through valleys. 
He uses your tears to create 

454
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,240
wells for others. 
Your deepest sorrow may become 

455
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,120
somebody else's greatest 
blessing. 

456
00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:15,600
Your valley becomes a reminder 
of God's faithfulness back over 

457
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,080
in Psalm 84. 
I want you to see this. 

458
00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,000
Not only is the valley a place 
that we all must pass through, 

459
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,000
the valley is a place that 
proves where our strength comes 

460
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,080
from. 
It's a place where God provides 

461
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,400
wells, but also a #4 the valley 
is a place where God promotes 

462
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,600
our strength. 
Psalm 84 and verse #7 they go 

463
00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:39,520
from strength to strength. 
In other words, God uses the 

464
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,760
valley to make you stronger. 
You don't come out of the valley

465
00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,320
empty, defeated. 
You don't come out of the valley

466
00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,280
broken. 
The valley becomes a training 

467
00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:51,240
ground for your faith. 
What the enemy meant for your 

468
00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,200
destruction becomes part of your
development. 

469
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,440
You come out stronger in faith. 
You come out stronger in 

470
00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,400
endurance. 
You come out stronger in prayer.

471
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,080
You come out stronger in 
character. 

472
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,800
You come out stronger in trust, 
stronger in compassion for 

473
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:06,600
others. 
The valley doesn't weaken you. 

474
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:08,440
The valley is what gives you 
strength. 

475
00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,080
There's strength and help by the
indwelling Spirit of God for 

476
00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,520
every situation. 
And I think that those who who 

477
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,880
burn out either were never born 
again or they're trying to do 

478
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:21,400
the Christian life. 
They're trying to live the 

479
00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,560
Christian life in their own 
strength. 

480
00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,120
We should be going from strength
to strength, not from weakness 

481
00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:30,160
to weakness, not from defeat to 
defeat. 

482
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,880
We should be going from strength
to strength. 

483
00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,440
That's what he says we should be
living from faith to faith as 

484
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,360
we're told in Romans 117. 
We should be walking the path 

485
00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:40,960
that shine us more and more unto
the perfect day. 

486
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,160
That's not the path of self 
seeking. 

487
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,080
That's not the path of 
worldliness. 

488
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,440
That's not the path of doing it 
our own way. 

489
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,440
It's the path of surrender to 
God's perfect will. 

490
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,600
But if you're going through that
valley and you are surrendered 

491
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,040
to God, he will strengthen you 
through that valley. 

492
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,240
You'll come out on the other 
side stronger. 

493
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,040
You look at what happened with 
Job. 

494
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,360
Oh, Job went through the valley 
of Baca. 

495
00:25:02,360 --> 00:25:04,120
Job went through a difficult 
time. 

496
00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,000
Job went through a horrible 
season in his life. 

497
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,520
But he said when he had tried 
me, I shall come forth as gold. 

498
00:25:12,120 --> 00:25:14,840
That's what God wants for us 
when we go through a valley to 

499
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,640
come out stronger on the other 
side. 

500
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,280
He doesn't put us through those 
things to to destroy us. 

501
00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:21,600
He doesn't put us through those 
things because he's trying to 

502
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,280
hurt us. 
He doesn't put us through those 

503
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,000
things because I'm God and I can
do this if I want to. 

504
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,200
No, we realize that our true 
strength comes from him, but we 

505
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,760
come out stronger on the other 
side because of him, Charles 

506
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,240
Spurgeon wrote in his Treasury 
of David. 

507
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:40,280
So far from being wearied, they 
gather strength as they proceed.

508
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,720
Each individual becomes happier,
each company becomes more 

509
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,880
numerous, each holy song more 
sweet and full. 

510
00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,840
We grow as we advance. 
If heaven be our goal, if we 

511
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,640
spend our strength in God's 
ways, we shall find it. 

512
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,400
Increase. 
See mountains. 

513
00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,000
Mountains give you views, but 
valleys give you victory. 

514
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,800
You may feel we, but God says 
you're moving from strength to 

515
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,520
strength, even if you can't see 
it. 

516
00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:12,080
I want to tell you this. 
Lastly, there in Psalm 84, not 

517
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,840
only is the valley a place that 
we all must pass through, the 

518
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,720
valley as a place that proves 
where our strength comes from. 

519
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:19,800
The valley is a place where God 
provides wells. 

520
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,280
The valley is a place that God 
promotes our strength. 

521
00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,480
But I want you to see this 
lastly, the valley is a place 

522
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,760
that points us to God's 
presence. 

523
00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:30,520
The valley is a place that 
points us to God's presence. 

524
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,960
Notice where they were going 
verse 7. 

525
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,240
They go from strength to 
strength. 

526
00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,920
Every one of them in Zion 
appeareth before God. 

527
00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:41,600
See, Zion was the end of the 
March for those who are 

528
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,480
travelling through the valley of
Baca to Jerusalem. 

529
00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:49,080
They were on their way to Zion, 
the hill of Zion, to worship 

530
00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,120
God. 
That was the place where 

531
00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:53,560
everything met. 
It was the delight of all of 

532
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:57,040
their hearts. 
Now, just a little side note 

533
00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,600
here, and obviously there's a 
lot in the rest of this passage 

534
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,000
that I'm not going to discuss 
this morning, but the goal for 

535
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,760
the devout Israelites as they 
marched through that valley was 

536
00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,920
to get to that, that, that that 
Mount Zion. 

537
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,320
And it wasn't just because they 
were gathering together to 

538
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,920
assemble is because they they 
were there to appear before God.

539
00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,880
Zion is the place where God 
meets with his people. 

540
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:23,200
And oh that that would be the 
desire of every sincere 

541
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,760
Christian in this room this 
morning to not miss an 

542
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,600
opportunity to be in his house, 
to look forward with great 

543
00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:33,040
anticipation to being in the 
presence of God. 

544
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,000
Verse #10 makes it very clear 
for a day in thy courts is 

545
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,640
better than 1000. 
I had rather be a doorkeeper in 

546
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,840
the House of my God than to 
dwell in the tents of 

547
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,880
wickedness. 
Your valley is not random. 

548
00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,480
Your valley is not meaningless. 
It's not wasted. 

549
00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,440
It's directional. 
It's taking you somewhere. 

550
00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,720
It's pointing you in a certain 
direction. 

551
00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,280
God uses every valley to pull 
you closer to Him. 

552
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,520
He uses the valley to pull you 
deeper into His word. 

553
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,000
He uses the valley to help you 
become more dependent on His 

554
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,960
grace, to help you become more 
aware of His presence, to help 

555
00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,000
you, to make you more confident 
in His faithfulness. 

556
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:16,520
The valley leads you to Zion, to
the place of God's presence. 

557
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,840
See, the valley of Baca is where
God transformed your transforms 

558
00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,560
your tears into wells, your 
sorrow into strength, your your 

559
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,120
journey into a deeper fellowship
with him and into a deeper 

560
00:28:29,120 --> 00:28:33,200
relationship with Him. 
And if you're walking through 

561
00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:37,640
the Valley of Baca today, you're
not alone, you're not forgotten,

562
00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,200
you're not stuck, you're not 
abandoned. 

563
00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:46,120
God is with you in that valley. 
God makes valleys into wells, 

564
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,480
and God wants to strengthen you 
through that valley. 

565
00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,480
And if you get to the end of 
yourself and realize it's not 

566
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,520
me, it's him, then he will use 
that valley to help you get 

567
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,080
closer to Him, to help you 
understand where your strength 

568
00:28:58,080 --> 00:28:59,840
really comes from. 
And you will come out on the 

569
00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:02,720
other side of that valley 
stronger than when you went in. 

570
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,760
God will transform your valley 
into a well of blessing if you 

571
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,880
allow Him to see. 
God never wastes the tears of 

572
00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:20,960
His children. 
Every tear has a purpose. 

573
00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:25,320
Every tear, everything that God 
allows you to go through, every,

574
00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,320
every heartache that God allows 
you to experience, every 

575
00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,640
difficulty that God allows to 
come into your life. 

576
00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:38,880
God is not doing that just 
because he can, not doing it 

577
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,720
just because he feels like it, 
not doing it just because he 

578
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,560
doesn't care. 
God never wastes a tear. 

579
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,280
He uses every one of those 
opportunities to help, to try to

580
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,920
draw us closer to Him. 
The sad thing is some people 

581
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,840
will stay in that valley, or 
some people might come out on 

582
00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,720
the other side of that valley 
and never learn anything, and 

583
00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,040
they'll be right back in the 
middle of another one struggling

584
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:06,360
the same way. 
God doesn't just allow us to go 

585
00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,320
through valleys to not learn 
something through it. 

586
00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,600
He allows us to go through 
valleys so we can come out 

587
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:14,680
stronger in His strength. 
On the other side. 

588
00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,800
A missionary told a story about 
a small village in Central 

589
00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:21,720
America that went through a 
severe drought. 

590
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,800
The river dried up, the crops 
failed, the soil just turned 

591
00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:27,720
into powder. 
There was nothing that they 

592
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,840
could do, and it was like the 
whole land had given up hope. 

593
00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,840
But there was an elderly farmer 
named Mateo who did something 

594
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,200
very strange, at least in the 
eyes of the people that were 

595
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,240
there in that village. 
Every morning, while everybody 

596
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,480
else was complaining about the 
fact that there was no rain and 

597
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,040
they were complaining about the 
fact that the ground was just 

598
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:50,840
dust and there was nothing but 
heat, Mateo would walk out into 

599
00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,480
his property. 
He started digging holes in his 

600
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,200
property. 
And every morning he did this 

601
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:00,480
for for weeks on end, to the 
point where by the time he was 

602
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:02,960
done, there was hundreds and 
hundreds of these holes on his 

603
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:04,960
property. 
His neighbors thought he had 

604
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,760
lost his mind. 
They asked him, why are you 

605
00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:09,240
digging? 
What's the purpose of it? 

606
00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,440
There's no rain. 
There's no, there's no point in 

607
00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,720
planting a seed in the ground. 
There's nothing here, there's no

608
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,560
water. 
We're in the middle of a 

609
00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:18,720
drought. 
Nothing can grow here. 

610
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:23,840
But Mateo just kept digging, 
sweat pouring down his face, 

611
00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,680
hands blistered back aching. 
And he would always tell them, 

612
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,720
rain always comes. 
Maybe not today, maybe not 

613
00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,280
tomorrow, but sooner or later. 
God is going to send the rain, 

614
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:39,200
and when he does, I want the 
ground to be ready. 

615
00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,360
For weeks he dug in that heat 
that felt unbearable, and then 

616
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:51,480
one night, as it always does, 
began to rain and the rain hit 

617
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:56,000
that dry, parched ground for 
Mateo's property. 

618
00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,640
It filled up all those little 
holes with rain. 

619
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,120
All those holes were finally 
full of water. 

620
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,280
And within days, something 
miraculous happened. 

621
00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:10,480
All the seeds that he had 
planted began to sprout, and 

622
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:14,000
actually trees started to grow 
on that property that they never

623
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:15,880
thought was going to produce 
much of anything. 

624
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,960
Children played their animals, 
found water, their families 

625
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,680
gathered for shade and rest, and
eventually that place became 

626
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,600
known as the garden in the 
valley. 

627
00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:32,720
The psalmist here in Psalm 84 
says that the one who finds his 

628
00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,520
strength in God can walk through
the valley of Baca, the valley 

629
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:42,040
of weeping, the valley of tears,
the valley of drought, and make 

630
00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,760
it a well. 
Bring your tears to God. 

631
00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,680
He can turn it into a well. 
Bring your weakness to God, He 

632
00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,000
can turn it into strength. 
Bring your valley to God. 

633
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:55,840
He can turn it into victory. 
But only God can do that. 

634
00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:01,960
Walk through that valley with 
confidence because Zion, he's on

635
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:05,880
the other side, God's presence, 
where God is waiting to meet 

636
00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,880
with us. 
Maybe you'll find yourself in 

637
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,520
the middle of a trial, a 
difficulty, A hardship, 

638
00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,840
something that you didn't know 
was coming. 

639
00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:18,760
It's a valley. 
Maybe you find yourself in the 

640
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:24,040
middle of a spiritual hardship. 
Most of those we bring on 

641
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:27,320
ourselves, but it doesn't make 
it any less difficult. 

642
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,840
Maybe you're in a spiritual 
drought right now. 

643
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,080
Most of those are brought on by 
us, brought on because of sin in

644
00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:38,080
our lives and everything else. 
But it doesn't make it any less 

645
00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,480
difficult. 
You're in a valley, Valley of 

646
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,520
weeping, the valley of of 
difficulty, the valley of 

647
00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:48,280
dryness. 
There's a lot of lessons that we

648
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:49,520
can learn when we're in a 
valley. 

649
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,160
Hey, it's a valley that we're 
passing through. 

650
00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,720
It's not going to last forever, 
not going to last forever. 

651
00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,680
Keep your head up and keep your 
eyes on the one who can lead you

652
00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:01,360
through it. 
Yeah. 

653
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:04,760
Though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will 

654
00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,600
fear no evil, For thou art with 
me. 

655
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,040
Thy rod and thy staff, they 
comfort me. 

656
00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:13,960
Hey, it's a valley that we have 
to pass through. 

657
00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,960
But it's also a valley that 
proves where our strength comes 

658
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,040
from. 
It's a valley where God provides

659
00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:25,360
his strength. 
It's where he provides his 

660
00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:27,159
wells. 
It's a valley where God promotes

661
00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:29,120
our strength. 
And it's a valley that points us

662
00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,080
to God's presence. 
Are you in a valley right now? 

663
00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:38,679
It's not pointless. 
God has a reason. 

664
00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:41,159
What are you going to learn 
through it? 

665
00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,000
Hey, you may not be in a valley 
right now, but you're probably 

666
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,880
going to be going into one at 
some point. 

667
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,679
Because we all do. 
We all face those difficulties. 

668
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,120
We all go through those 
hardships. 

669
00:34:55,920 --> 00:35:02,920
They all go through those things
that are difficult passing 

670
00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:06,040
through the Valley of Baca. 
Make it a well. 

671
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:09,680
Maybe we can learn something 
from that. 

672
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:11,280
This morning. 
Let's pray. 

673
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,600
Father, again, we thank you so 
much for your goodness to us. 

674
00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:19,080
Thank you that even in the 
middle of a trial, you're with 

675
00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:20,520
us. 
Even in the middle of a drought,

676
00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:22,600
you're with us. 
Even in the middle of difficult 

677
00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,720
times, you're there. 
God, may we learn from it what 

678
00:35:25,720 --> 00:35:29,000
you want us to learn from it. 
May it be a help to us, but 

679
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,440
thank you again for all you do 
for us. 

680
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:31,960
In Jesus name, Amen.