At an extremely low point during my chemo infusions my physical appearance was specterlike— emaciated, pale, hairless (even my eyebrows had lost all their hair), and weak. I remember my wife leaning over to kiss me goodnight and her tears falling on my face saying: “It hurts me so much to see you suffer like this.” I said, “No Sweetheart, God is very near, we are very blessed and have so much to be thankful for.” I thought of this during my devotional the next morning when I read in Psalm 84:5-7:
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 “Valley of Baca” is translated as “The Valley of Tears,” so this psalmist is saying that as we go through our Gmes of suffering and tears on our earthly pilgrimage, we are blessed by a God who can turn our tears into “a place of springs.” He is near, providing the strength we need on the journey, transforming the suffering into victory when we reach the pilgrimage’s end “before Him in Zion.” God was responsible for leading me to that Bible passage to once again affirm my belief that He was constantly with me and would continue to bring good out of bad in my life.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
