"Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." (Psalm 84:5 NIV)
Psalm 84:5 has long been a favorite. For decades, it tugged my heart toward Israel and the spiritual combustion that happened on holy soil. Surely the Jerusalem was the intent of the original author, as devout Jews made the climb to Temple three times a year.
This morning I read Psalm 84:5 and saw so much more than an invitation to a distant country. I discerned a divine invitation to go God’s way. Our faithful Father calls His children out on a faith journey with Him. Not unlike the original trek to Temple, the journey remains costly. We must let go of expectation and idols. We surrender calendars and land holdings. We will likely be misunderstood and suffer embarrassment. The journey itself forces us to travel light.
When considering the invitation, our deliberation must be a good deal wider than the cost. We must also reflect upon the benefit. We are being invited by God, with God, to travel deep into the interior of His purposes. This is the adventure of our lifetime! It is worth sacrificing our comfort, our routine, our neat little life plan.
On paper, it’s easy. The reality of pilgrimage is far more challenging. And if we start looking to the right or left, comparison will tear us off the trail every time. It’s simple, pilgrims suffer on this side of eternity. But this isn’t the conclusion of our story. We must simply trust that what God is offering is so much better than the weak screen in our mind can contrive.
There’s a bonus included in this scripture, too. When we set our hearts on pilgrimage, we discover strength for the journey. I can attest to this. There have been countless times in this past year that I have stopped to cry out to God for strength. I’m thrilled to report; He has met me near-immediately with the precise resource I needed. When we are going God’s way, He is eager to offer His strong arm in support.
Yesterday’s New Morning Mercies entry proposed that we are too easily satisfied with God. We settle for too little; we are content with a little change, a bit of growth, a smidge of maturity. Paul David Tripp reminded me: God is after total transformation. Such an evolution requires a difficult journey over decades. This lifelong upward endeavor provides countless opportunities to identify and eradicate our sin nature. All the while, we are moving forward in the Father’s grace and will. The higher we climb with Him, the more we truly reflect Him. Beloved, we require the pilgrimage – we simply cannot get there on our own.
"Come, let us go up the mountain of the Lord to the Temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us to walk in His ways, so that we may walk in His paths." (Isaiah 2:3 NIV)
Dear Lord, please forgive us for setting our hearts on other things. We trend toward complacency. Dissatisfy us today. We want to walk with You, no matter how steep or difficult the route may become. Keep us from comparison. Let eternity consume our thoughts as we scramble to stay near to You. Transform us every step of the way. Amen.