Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools. (Psalm 84:4-6 ESV)
Here is pictured the joy it is meant to be for the one who has made the Lord his heart’s desire. He cannot wait to be back with him. The sabbath is his favorite day of the week. In his heart are “the highways to Zion”, that is, the longing to return to Jerusalem where the temple is and the unique presence of God. As he travels and passes through “the valley of Baca”, which are valleys of grief, his joy fills up the valley with pools of water, of refreshment. In other words, he is a joy to those around him, filling them too with joy that fills in their grief. What a great picture of the contagious nature the Christian is to have upon and give away to those around him!
