“Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings” (Psalm 84:6). As these Jewish sojourners headed for Jerusalem to worship, they were described as “passing through the valley of Baca.”

Scholars tell us that the background for that phrase probably came from one of two ideas. First, as the travelers were walking to Jerusalem, they passed through an area that was dry and desolate most of the year, but when the rains came it flourished. A second possibility is that these sojourners passed through an area of Balsam trees and the resin that seeped from the trees looked like tears running down the tree trunks.

Either scenario conveyed the same message in the psalm. Those Jews were so excited about worship that when they passed through an area that could have been looked upon as a negative, they turned it into a positive. The desire to worship God was so strong in the hearts of these people that they were not going to let any negative idea stop them. They saw everything through the eyes of those whose heart was set on worshiping God.

How strongly do you want to gather with the saints to worship God? The stronger the desire, the bigger the obstacle will have to be to hinder you from gathering for worship. The key for the Jews not letting a difficult situation hinder their worship was that they passed through the valley; they did not homestead in it.

When difficulties arise in some folks’ lives, they never get to worship because the negative circumstance overpowers their desire to worship. Rather than passing through their difficulty, they make their difficulty a permanent dwelling place. All they can think about is their sad condition.

The Jews in Psalm 84 had their hearts set so strongly on coming into the presences of God with other saints that they were determined not to let anything hinder them. Thus, they turned the dry desolate land into a blessing.

I have known Christians who had that same dedication. Mary Kay Richardson, wife of the former preacher for Columbine, came to worship when she was struggling with cancer. Basically, she needed to lie down so she brought her reclining lawn chair to the building. She said, “I don’t hurt any worse at the building than I would hurt if I stayed home.” What would have been a hindrance to many others was not a hindrance to her. She turned her “Valley of Baca” into a blessing.

I have known others who had to stand during the worship service because they were in too much pain to sit. They turned their “Valley of Baca” into a blessing.

On the other hand, I’ve known some who stayed away from the worship assembly because someone else in the house had a cold. Any little thing could keep this person away from the worship assembly. They saw that dry desolate land and decided to homestead in it rather than pass through it. They gave in to the weakness of the flesh rather than put forth the effort to pass through their dry desolate problem.

As one studies Psalm 84 one finds that the reason those worshipers did not let the dry desolate area hinder their worship is because of the close personal relationship they had with God. They were not going to let anything hinder them spending time with their close Friend, God Almighty. One’s attitude toward worship is a reflection of one’s attitude toward God. The closer one’s relationship with God is, the more he desires to be in the assembly. The closer one’s relationship with God, the more dry desolate valley one is willing to pass through to be in the assembly.

What dry desolate valley hinders you from worship? Or a better question is, What dry desolate valley do you have to come through to assemble with the saint? I’m confident that many of you have dry desolate valleys that could hinder your assembly, but you do not let it. No one may know your difficulty, but God does, and He will bless your effort!