The Valley of Baka was known for being dry and without water all year long. In this Psalm, David does not say that God filled the valley with springs for the people, but that through His strength they made it a place of springs and God sent autumn rains to also cover the valley with blessings. How do you create springs of water in a desert? I believe these springs come from three intentional heart actions. (3 main points… that’s what you get from the daughter of a pastor! )

•  Faithful obedience. God told his children, “obey me. Keep all of my commandments. And you will be my people and I will be your God.” We find springs in the desert as we obey God. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
•  Pressing into God’s strength: get on your knees, cry out to God in desperation. We were created to live in constant desperation for God, utter dependence on His strength. This kind of desperation produces springs of water. 

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Paul is not saying this as some inspirational- “reach for the stars”, “you can do anything you put your mind to” type of quote. Paul is saying that the reason he can be content in any and every circumstance- whether in great need or having plenty, great pain or freedom from pain- is that God’s strength is always enough! In the wilderness, God’s strength is enough.

• Thankfulness. An attitude of thanksgiving is powerful. It was not a typo when Paul said that we are to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thes. 5:18). He did not mean to say, “give thanks when you feel good, or when life is really going your way, or when you feel super spiritual…” No. All circumstances. Plain and simple.

**This does not necessarily mean giving thanks for all circumstances. God can use even the worst evil for his glory, but sin is never God’s plan. We don’t need to thank God for the sin, for the evil, but we can always thank God that He will work all things for the good of those who love him for His own purposes! (Romans 8:28). Sin is not more powerful than God.

God did not spare even his own, beloved son from suffering, so why do we think we would be spared? Jesus suffered before he was ever nailed to the cross. His entire life he was misunderstood, judged, mistreated and slandered. We then should not be surprised when we are misunderstood, judged, mistreated and slandered.

 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17

"The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first -wanting to be the center- wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. . . . What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could 'be like gods'- could set up on their own as if they had created themselves- be their own master- invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history- money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery- the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy. 

The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. 

That is the key to history, Terrific energy is expended- civilizations are built up- excellent institutions are devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans" (C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”).

We have a choice. What will our pilgrimage through the wilderness look like? Will we make springs of water; will we move from strength to strength in the Lord? Or will we throw up our hands and declare, “ I never signed up for this wilderness stuff!” and try to seek out happiness and ease for ourselves? It can never be found apart from God, yet it is still our choice to search.

Still I was not humble enough to take the humble Jesus as my God; nor did I know what his taking our weak nature was supposed to teach us. Your Word, the eternal truth, overtops the highest peaks of your creation; and he lifts up those of low degree to himself. Yet he stooped to this human clay of ours and built himself a humble habitation that he might win to himself all who are willing to surrender their own selves. He would heal men of the tumors of their pride. He would nurture their love so they would not become overconfident of their strength, but would recognize their own weakness when they saw before their eyes Divinity himself in his weakness. He shared our coats of skin, so that we would wearily throw ourselves upon his humanity, and so find ourselves lifted up by his resurrection. (The Confessions of Augustine)