Don't stop on the way

The life of a disciple is not a long calm river, it is a real life of adventures and challenges. Trials are an integral part of the path that Christ has planned for us and He has warned us of it (cf. Matthew 10:16). And this verse gives us an extraordinary promise regarding the pressures, tensions, and other trials that we might encounter. And to fully understand this, it is necessary to know the meaning of the word “Baka”. This is the Valley of Tears. It says here “when they cross the valley of tears” and not “if”… Which means that tears have a place in our lives however it is not the end…

When we face difficulties, the most natural tendency is to want to stop. This leads to diminishing his life of prayer and reading of His Word, reducing his relationships with other disciples of Christ, letting go under pressure. If it's natural, it's not fair! Our human nature is still corrupted by sin, it is for this reason that we are called to walk by the Spirit so as not to fulfill the desires of the flesh (cf. Galatians 5:16). Whatever your circumstances you are called to go through them, so don't stop along the way!

In the previous verse we are encouraged to put our strength in Him, which means knowing how to recognize our weakness, our inability and our dependence on Christ and His presence. It is no longer we who live, but He who lives in us (cf. Galatians 2:20). It is a positioning of faith and a determination to persevere that will bring about a real change in us and around us. So it's up to you to position yourself, get up and put your strength in Him ...

There is talk here of making it an oasis, it is a place of peace, refreshment and life in the middle of the desert. And it is you who brings it into being as you continue to walk in His presence and His promises. The characteristic of an oasis is that it is located in the middle of the desert and a hostile environment ... Which means that the ordeal can remain as well as the pressure and yet your life is at peace and refreshed by what your strength is in Him… So never let what is outside of your life determine what is in you. God has planned that your life will be an oasis and others will also come to receive peace and rest.

As we simply turn the valley of tears into an oasis by placing our strength in Him, God will release His blessing. He sends rain, He releases His favor. There is a principle of the Kingdom of God here, when we do our part, God comes to add His, which propels us into a new and greater dimension of His Kingdom. And if you look at the next verse, you will find that it becomes a way of life where we keep growing until we are in His presence for eternity ... So don't stop, put your strength in Him and become the blessing you are called to be!

God has blessed you richly so that you bless abundantly ...

Luke