Let’s have our HEARTS set on a PILGRIMAGE
Let’s have our HEARTS set on a PILGRIMAGE
"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on
pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring;
the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one
appears before God in Zion." (Psalms 84:5-7)
Psalm 84 is a
song of pilgrimage penned by the sons of Korah whose duties included being
gatekeepers of the temple (1 Chron. 26:1, 12–19). This psalm reveals an intense
longing for God’s house – the temple in Jerusalem (Psalm 84:1-4), and this impulse
for worship was so strong as to overcome any obstacle that might stand in the
way of the pilgrim (v. 7). God was there, and to worship Him there ultimately was
the height of all joy and blessing (v. 10).
There are five lessons that we can learn from the
above verses 5-7 that are listed below:
- God considers those people blessed
who have learned the secret of putting their focus/trust in God: We are blessed (divine favored) when our strength to believe, obey and suffer lies
in God alone. This happens when the doctrines, precepts, and promises of God
are deeply engraved upon our hearts, and we are passionate in following God’s
ways during our life’s journey.
- God is not only their power source,
but their hearts are set on a pilgrimage: Pilgrimages to the tabernacle were a grand feature of
Jewish life and these blessed people had an earnest desire to take this
journey, even though they lived far off from the tabernacle. We need to realize
that this earth is not our own – we are just passing through. We need to
closely follow the footsteps of the fathers in faith who confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on this earth (Heb 11:13).
- As these pilgrims pass through the
Valley of Baca, they make it a spring (or, well): The Valley of Baca represents the
valley of weeping – the testing/trial experiences in the life of a believer.
These tragic experiences should create wells of testimony regarding the
faithfulness of God, and these experiences may be used to bless others as we go
through similar experiences. Let’s always remember that “the steps of a good
man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalms 37:23).
- When we use our life experiences to
bless others, God will fill our wells of experience with His rain: God will pour His showers of
blessings upon our efforts to glorify Him through our life tragedies. God will
help us to overcome our tragic situations and help us to be “more than
conquerors” (Romans 8:37).
- We will go from strength to strength
until we appear before God: At the end of all our valley experiences, we will appear before God in
Mount Zion, the holy mountain of God. Even though weary from the demands of the
journey, we will gather strength as we trudge along in God's ways, and finally reach the wonderful presence of
God.
Let’s set on our heart on a pilgrimage today knowing that our ultimate destination is the presence of God! Let’s follow the example of the Old Testament saints who did exactly that: "(They)…died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Heb 11:13-16)
