EXCERPTS FROM THE MINISTRY

C. Those Being Blessed
Who Dwell in God's House, Praising Him

Psalm 84:4 says, "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;/They will yet be praising You." To dwell in God's house is to praise Him. Quite often, however, we are lacking in praise. Our vital groups should be full of praising. Not to praise the Lord is to be dormant, but to praise Him is to be vital. Praising the Lord should be our living, and our church life should be a life of praising.

D. A Day to Dwell in God's Courts
Being Better than a Thousand

"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand;/I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God /Than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (v. 10; cf. Ezek. 47:3-5; Rev. 20:4-6). Here the psalmist speaks of one who stands at the threshold, which is the dividing line between the inside and the outside. I surely would like to be one who stands at the threshold of the house of God.

III. BLESSED BEING THE MAN
WHOSE HEART IS ON THE HIGHWAYS TO ZION

Psalm 84:5-7 reveals that the one is blessed whose heart is on the highways to Zion. To be on the highways to Zion means that we intend to come into the church. Actually, our intention to be in the church life is a highway for us to come into the church.

A. Having Strength in God

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You" (v. 5a). This indicates that on the highways to Zion we have strength in God. Many of us can testify that before we came into the church we were weak and hesitant, but once we made the decision to come to the church, we were strengthened in God.

B. Passing through the Valley of Baca

Verse 6a speaks of passing through the valley of Baca. As we have pointed out, "Baca" means "weeping." On the one hand, when we had the intention to come into the church life, we were strengthened in God; on the other hand, we were opposed by Satan, who has caused many saints to suffer persecution. The trouble and persecution caused by Satan can make our highway a valley of weeping.

C. Making the Valley of Weeping a Spring

When we pass through the valley of Baca, God makes this valley a spring (v. 6b). If we take the highway to go to God's house, trouble and persecution will come to us, and such things will cause us to weep. But God will turn our tears into a spring. Only those who weep will have a spring. The more tears we shed, the greater will be the spring.