The Blessings of a Broken Road

For the last six weeks I have been part of a Bible Study by Beth Moore titled Stepping Up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascent (I wrote about this briefly in one of my first posts). At the study, we sit 4-5 women at round tables around the room. Each table has a list of questions intended to prompt discussion based on the "homework" done during the week. Following the time of discussion, we watch a video of Beth Moore speaking and fill out notes in our workbooks that correspond to the Session we are viewing. Today's session was titled Blessings From Zion and was based loosely on Psalm 134, the final Psalm of Ascent. I always enjoy listening to Beth Moore. She has walked a difficult path of pain and heartache, but has put her hope in Jesus Christ and thus found forgiveness and freedom to reach out and help others. One of the points she made in today's session was from Psalm 84:5-7.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."

Three times each year, the Israelites would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the Three Great Feasts in the temple. They would make this journey with family and friends, traveling in large groups of people. Part of their journey would take them through the Valley of Baca. Baca actually means "tears" or "weeping", so their travels would literally take them through a time of deep tears. I know that I can definitely relate to times of deep tears, and as Beth says its not a matter of if we will ever experience times of deep tears, its a matter of when those times will come. Pain is a part of life. We watch others go through something profoundly sad or tragic and say "I could never go through what they are going through". The truth of the matter is, that when we are faced with hardships, God wants us to see that He gives us the grace and strength at that moment to make it through whatever we are facing. That is how we go from strength to strength. In each experience we encounter, we receive a fresh measure of God's grace and strength.

Each of us walks a broken road; we've put hope in people and been disappointed, we've lost people we've loved, we've been rejected, we've sacrificed, you get the picture. The point is, each step in our broken road serves to point us to Christ. He's the one that holds us in our pain, our disappointment, our rejection and gives us Himself and His strength to hold on. He's the True Love that we tend to look for in others. He the One that all of our brokenness pushes us to. God has certainly blessed my broken road and I am so grateful that those broken roads continue to lead me straight to Christ.

Many of you know that I am a music aficionado. During the video, Beth had her worship leader sing a popular song written by Rascal Flatts. It was more than appropriate and I have included the lyrics here for you to read and ponder. Be Blessed!

Bless The Broken Road

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.