God will make your trial and trail a blessing.

Psa 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well.
Have you been through Baca? Baca is a valley in Israel, the name of which means "weeping". Ishmael and Hagar cried (baka’) to God for aid in the wilderness after Abraham left them in a deserted area. There, in that valley, God heard them and blessed them. The great well Zamzam it’s actually a spring that sprang up in answer to their cry.
Sorrow is a part of our human experience. Mountaintop joy means little if we cannot contrast it with valley woe.

Jesus took the valley route often. He wept over Jerusalem's refusal to find refuge under His wings. He wept at the death of Lazarus and the subsequent sorrow of his friends and family. The Scripture calls the Savior a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.

What kept Him going through that difficult Baca valley? The joy that was set before Him. Basically, the place back at His Father's side.

We also have much to look forward to. Joy awaits us when we finally make our way out of the valley of weeping. We are destined for victorious mountain tops.

But our passage here shows that, for a person to be able to make a well in the valley of Baca, he or she must first make preparation. Initially, one has to long for God's house. There they fellowship, praise, worship, sacrifice, learn and serve the King of Glory. Strength for the valley of Baca is garnered from the Lord's house. Verses 1 and 2 show this.

And then, we find the valley of Baca is made a blessing for the individual who has made use of the church altar. Verse 3. An altar is the place where we meet God and lay bare our heart and soul. It is a place where we do our most serious business with our Lord. If we miss His house, we miss an opportunity to be blessed at an altar.

And then, according to verse 4, the Baca valley is made much more tolerable for the person who is still praising God. Imagine one person reluctantly, drudgingly making his way into Baca, humming in a minor key, "Well, it's cryin' time again!"

Meanwhile another, filled with the Holy Spirit, praising God for His goodness, making melody in her heart to the Lord, and giving thanks for all things. This person is the one who sees the possibilities of this lonesome valley and there makes a refreshing well.

Also, the Baca traveler who finds a blessing in the valley is a person who operates in the strength and power of the Lord rather than leaning on the arm of fallible human flesh. Vs 5.

Operating by flesh power is a frustrating endeavor. What a huge contrast to live by the credo of the Apostle Paul who said, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Friend, valleys of weeping are inevitable. There are times when there is no other path. David said, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

The word "yea" that David uses portends the certainty of such an endeavor.

Our choice then is, are we going to cower through the valley? Will we feel sorry for ourselves and seek solace from others also navigating that difficult trail? Or will we allow God to use those tears to cleanse our vision? Can we allow our valley sufferings to become mountain ministries?

Know this, child of God, the Lord does not lead us into box canyons but valleys which have an entrance and an exit. So, make a well while you are there, be refreshed and emerge to a greater joy on the other side.

God Remembers We are Just Flesh

Psa 78:38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
Psa 78:39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Thank God for His wonderful, abundant mercy! We are fully deserving of penury and penalty here on earth and hell to follow.

But God is full of compassion. He is slow to anger, righteous anger. The reason for His patience to us is that He remembers what we are made of. Faltering, failing flesh. We are as stable and dependable as the wind that passes by.

And so, He forgives when we fail, He shows compassion when we show coldness, He turns away His anger when we turn antagonistic.

He remembers what we are made of. Today, let's remember God's character, holy and just, but merciful and loving.

Now look at verse 50...He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

The Lord had turned away His anger from His people, but when it came to Egypt, He made a way to His anger. In other words, He found a way to deliver it.

Think of an archer shooting at targets 30 paces away. One target, he decides to turn completely around and shoot his arrow harmlessly in the opposite direction, but the next target, he shoots the bull's eye with precision.

This was the difference between ancient Israel and Egypt.

Make sure that you are one of His own, rather than on the delivery end of His anger.

You can have your cake and eat it too!

78:25 Man did eat angel's food

Can you sense the amazement of the Psalmist as he pens these words? God is taking care of His kids in the wilderness. Water came from a rock, quails flew into their nets, but bread from heaven, not just once, but 6 days a week! That's amazing.

Angels eat? I never really thought about that too much. Why? Is it for fun? Do they need it to sustain strength as they minister to us? Do they eat manna for the same reason I eat nachos, because I can?

We sometimes think of the spiritual world as solely ethereal...unseen and immaterial. But it has to be pretty real if the angels sit down to honey flavored coriander bread on a regular basis.

And then, to think, heaven's bakery got this special order to feed a few million Jews in the wilderness for an indefinite period of time. And then there was the logistics of delivery. Did the angels drop it from the sky? Did coriander clouds drop the flakes on their camp? Hmmm.

The most amazing thing about it all to the Psalmist and to me, is that, when it seems impossible for God to care for His own, He surprises us with yet another way to open the windows of heaven.

In these hard times, making ends meet is going to be difficult. But those who love God are going to be amazed at the methods God will use to care for His own.

Pass the angel food cake, please!

Addendum: Our family is in a $$$ pinch! We took a large pay cut before it was even in vogue. We have had to file a small claims suit against former tenants in a property we reluctantly own. Even if we win the lawsuit, worth enough to fund the habits of a banana republic’s dictator for about 15 minutes, they don’t really have the means to pay up. Suddenly, out of heaven, well, Houston, Texas, I receive a call from the Judge Alex Show offering to have our case tried on TV. If we win, and I am pretty confident of that, the show pays the judgment against the defendants. Now once again, pass the angel food cake, please!

If you play with fire…

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? Pro 6:27-28

Pyromania was alive and well with my brother and I when we were kids. (Maybe that's where my two boys get it!). We were fascinated with the incendiary. Our home was historic, it had belonged to General John J. Pershing around the turn of last century. The garage had one side for autos, the other for horses and a haystack above. We performed several "scientific" experiments in that old barn. Too bad the neighborhood kids had learned from us and decided to perform one of those acts while we were still in bed one summer morning. They torched the whole thing and destroyed the place. Well, that's what you get when you play with fire.

Did you hear the story of the king who was in the market for a good carriage driver for his daughter? To find out who was the most suitable driver for his girl he proposed a challenge to the candidates. He offered the prestigious job to the one who, at full speed could drive the carriage closest to the dangerous cliff edge, while maintaining a high speed. One driver came a mere foot away from the edge while rounding the turn. The next was able to maneuver the wagon several inches closer. All who observed cheered his valor. Then a third man took the reins and as he approached the dangerous precipice, he slowed the horses to a painfully slow gait. He hugged the rock cliff as far away from the chasm as possible. The people booed his cowardess. As he finished his course, the king demanded of him why he was so cautious. “I value my life and that of these beautiful steeds so much so that I have no desire to see them wasted in such foolishness. And besides that, I see no earthly reason to endanger the beautiful princess’ life, should she be aboard this magnificent carriage whilst I am driving.” The king nodded and said, “To this man goes the honor of driving my daughter’s carriage, for his wisdom and respect has earned him such a privilege.”

I am appalled to see such carelessness in the lives of God’s people these days. They show no respect for God nor the dangers of sin. Rather than stay as far away from evil as possible, they nudge up to it so close, trusting their grit and determination not to fall into its vices, they are soon caught up in it and are unable to escape.

I read a bizarre story which I now share with you that proves the point of people’s foolish rendezvous with sin. May God deliver this dumb dove before she is devoured by the coyote.

Drew Peterson’s fiancée: He will never hurt me - She says suspected murderer ‘has a good heart,’ plans summer wedding - By Michael Inbar - TODAYShow.com contributor - Feb. 13, 2009
Many people, including her own parents, call her crazy, but Christina Raines maintains she is Only crazy in love with her notorious, headline-grabbing fiancé, Drew Peterson.
After a strange, weeklong split, Raines has reconciled with Peterson and is planning a summer wedding, despite Peterson’ remaining under a heavy cloud of suspicion that he murdered his third and fourth wives. The pair sat down with TODAY’s national correspondent Amy Robach for an interview marked by Peterson’s braggadocio and Raines’ continued assertion her intended is no criminal.
Raines, just 24, told Robach she ignores talk that her future husband is a murderer, despite her father Ernie publicly declaring he fears for his daughter’s life.
‘A good heart’“[Drew] has a good heart,” Raines told Robach. “[He’s] very caring and I don’t think he will ever hurt me or anyone else.”
Peterson, 55, a former police sergeant in Bolingbrook, Ill., is under police investigation for the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. The 25-year-old woman went missing in October 2007, and while Drew Peterson told police he had received a call from Stacy telling him she was leaving to be with another man, the couple’s neighbors reported Peterson carried a 55-gallon barrel out of his home shortly after her disappearance.
Suspicions in the Stacy Peterson case prompted authorities to exhume the body of Peterson’s third wife, Kathleen Savio, who died in 2004 from what was initially judged to be an accidental drowning in the couple’s bathtub. A new forensic examination decreed Savio had actually died of a forced drowning.
While police continue to gather evidence for possible charges against Peterson, his 33-years-younger fiancée told Robach she has no fears becoming the next Mrs. Peterson. She noted that she knew Drew before Stacy’s disappearance, and “he has always been nice to me.”
When Stacy disappeared, Raines said she “felt bad for [Drew]. I felt like she was kidnapped or something. But that’s it. I didn’t think that he did anything to her.”

So, there you have it. People are so stupid that they look down the barrel of a loaded gun and aren’t afraid to pull the trigger. What about you? Are you taking fire to your bosom these days? Are there sins you are playing around with which are going to burn you?

Do like the wise driver did, stay as far away from the edge as possible and you won’t have a thing to worry about.

Can God Furnish a Table in the Wilderness?

Psa 78:19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
Psa 78:20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

Our nation is in as much of a wilderness as I have ever seen it. Our heritage is being steamrolled by socialism and racism. Socialism will be better than what we will have though, because in socialism, everyone works! Hard times are upon us unparalleled since the great depression.

I predict that it won't be long before huge lifestyle adjustments are going to have to be made. I see the day when families are going to have to combine households just to meet surviving mortgages. Joblessness is going to go through the roof. Those who have jobs, even bad ones are going to make unbelievable concessions, i.e. pay cuts, benefit reductions, etc, just to hang on to employment. I can see unemployment reaching almost 30%. Think about it, much industry produces items that are useless in bad times. Who is going to buy a jet-ski, fishing boat or 4-wheeler when they can't even make the house payment?

Churches are going to struggle tremendously. Raw numbers show that it will be impossible to operate at present levels. Staff positions will be cut, missions budgets will be pared, building projects will be tabled. It is a gloomy outlook.

But I do know this, God can furnish a table in the wilderness. His promises are still true, boom or bust. When we tithe, He will open the windows of heaven and pour out the blessings, while rebuking the devourer. When we give to missions, He will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

On a brighter note, we know that the rapture and tribulation must be proceeded by perilous times in which men's hearts fail them in fear for the things which are coming.

Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh!

A Godly Generation

Psa 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation
that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

The desire of parents is always that their children have a better world and a better chance than they had.

In this verse, the Psalmist bemoans previous generations characterized by stubbornness and rebellion. Their hearts were not right with God and their spirits were not solidly with God.

I'd like to pass down a better world to my kids and a better heritage for them to emulate. However, our present generation is best described in the New Testament, Phil 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Our nation is just that in this generation, crooked and perverse.

It is by no accident that some kids "turn out right". It takes diligence, care, love, discipline, prayer and much wisdom and in the end, they must make the proper choices to be part of a generation that honors God and seeks Him whole-heartedly.

I pray that the next generation would have the example and all the tools they need to choose godliness and to stand for what is right.

What are We Passing Along to our Children?

Psa 78:5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
Psa 78:6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
Psa 78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Psa 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

We see in this passage that it is the responsibility of one generation to pass along to the next one, so that they, in turn, might pass along to the next generation the following;
1) The Praises of the Lord, vs 4
2) How Strong the Lord is, vs 4
3) The Wonderful Works that He has Done, vs 4
4) A Testimony, vs 5
5) The Perfect Law of God, vs 5
6) That There is Hope in God, vs 7
7) That Generations to come might not forget the Works of God, vs 7
8) That Those Generations would Keep His Commandments, vs 7

Now, let's be honest, what are we really passing down to our kids?
The average Christian home teaches;
1)That a television set is the pivotal point of the home.
2)That getting ahead, or rather, just keeping afloat by whatever means necessary, is primary.
3) The principle of situational ethics can be employed when issues arise.
4) The whole ‘God thing’ is okay for normal times, but crises may call for other means to get by, i.e. lying, stealing, depending on the government, coveting, sloth, slander, etc.
5) The ‘God thing’ is basically a 1 or 2 hour a week proposition, otherwise, all bets are off.

I am reminded of the illustration of God being the spare tire for most people. When we have a flat, we pull out that donut tire from the trunk and use it just long enough to limp into the service station and get the tire fixed, then the spare gets thrown back into the trunk until the next time you have a flat. A person is just fine until trouble comes and he thinks he could use God to get over the rough spot, then, as soon as the crisis is averted, our Cosmic Genie goes back into His bottle until the next time we are in trouble.

That's precisely why we are losing the coming generation. They see God as an add-on to their parents lives, not a real deal, sure fire part of everyday life. They don't see a testimony of 24/7 dependence and relationship with the Almighty from their mom and pop, but a religion of convenience. Hollywood holds more reality to our kids than does their parent's faith.

It's time we talk the talk and walk the walk in our homes, like we do down at the church house. We can't hide the true faith from our kids, but we have to establish a testimony before them that they might know the true power of God and choose to pass the faith along to their kids.