Hearts Set on Pilgrimage

"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."

~Psalm 84:5-7

I read this in my GodTime this morning and felt like sharing it. A few things stood out to me.

First, that we are blessed when our strength is not in ourselves, but in God. This is much of what Lucky, Glenn Packiam's book that I'm reading, is about. He says that is when we are able to acknowledge our lack of strength that we are set up to accept God's rule in our lives. We are not lucky because we are weak, we are lucky because our strength is in Him.

Second, I loved the imagery of having to set our hearts on pilgrimage. Our life is a journey, and for everyone there is a temptation to "camp out." This can happen anywhere - on the mountain peaks or in the valleys. Who wants to leave the beauty of the mountain peak, even if we're promised an even better view further on? And when we're in the valley, it's easy to lose hope. To settle in because we don't know how to get out on our own. Whether it is physical or spiritual, we often choose to stay in one spot, even when God wants to take us to something new.

Third, the "Valley of Baca" intrigued me. I didn't know what it meant, so I looked it up. There are several interpretations, but the main three that I found were "Valley of Tears," "Valley of Loneliness," and "The Desert Valley." At different times in our lives we all go through seasons of tears, loneliness, or spiritual dryness. It can be so hard to believe that anything good could come out of those valleys, but God has the power to make them into places of springs and pools of rain. To bring life where there is none.

And fourth, the reminder to go from "strength to strength." I know from experience that while we're in the valleys, Satan tries to convince us that we'll never get out. He tells us lies like, "You're alone in this valley," "Your best days are behind you," and "This is how you will always feel." Focusing so much on our own weakness, we forget who is with us and who is our strength. Our last moment of strength was not the most He would offer, and the valley we're in is not going to be our "forever." This is our hope, and this is what allows us to keep going when we're at our weakest.

So be encouraged today. Wherever you are, set your heart on pilgrimage. I pray that you are on a glorious mountain peak, that you're soaking up his love and basking in his refreshing grace. And yet, I challenge you not to settle. Go deeper and deeper, from strength to strength. Decide in your heart to be one who is never satisfied with the view you have now because you know there is always something more over the next crest.

But if you're experiencing a valley, remember that this is not where you'll stay. Turn to him who is your strength and confess your dependence. "Lucky are the God-dependent, for they will enjoy and participate in God's rule (Lucky)." As you choose to open yourself up to him, to rely on him in the midst of your tears, loneliness, and frustration, he will begin to bring you out. I don't know how long it will take. But I do know that he came to give us life, and life to the full.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches

he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you,

being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all the saints,

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep

is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -

that you may be filled to the measure

of all the fullness of God."

~ Ephesians 3:16-19