PILGRIM HEARTS ARE BLESSED (1)

“BLESSED is the man whose strength is in You, whose HEART is set on pilgrimage” – Psalm 84:5

PILGRIM HEARTS are BLESSED: “BLESSED is the man whose strength is in You, whose HEART is set on PILGRIMAGE” (Psa.84:5). Psalm 84 describes the Pilgrim’s love and longing for God and His House, encouraging each of us as we turn the corner on the next segment of whatever journey we’re engaged on in life. A pilgrim is a person who goes on a journey to a place of significance, usually a foreign land, and often with a spiritual, religious, or moral purpose. However, more than simply a physical journey to visit a sacred place, pilgrimage refers to our journey of faith as we seek to fulfil our callings and grow closer to God.

The GOD’s WORD translation of Psalm 84:5 uses the phrase “their hearts are set on the road [that leads to you]” to describe pilgrimage. The entire psalm calls us to ponder on life as pilgrimage: setting our hearts on the road that leads to God! It reveals four characteristics of the pilgrim-heart and how we can be encouraged in life’s journeys:

Longing to dwell in the House of God: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house…” (v.4a). We all may be on a different journey in our pilgrimage, with different stops and detours, but we all have the same ultimate destination – God’s Eternal House. If we’re going to embark on a journey of faith and follow God’s will for our life, we need to know where we’re going. The intermediate stops will fall into place if we set our eyes and hearts on the end goal of dwelling in God’s house.

Ever praising God: “They will still be praising You” (v.4b, NIV). Journeys are difficult. Each stage of the trip, each turn of the road, brings a new set of challenges and obstacles. Yet, these pilgrims are ever praising God; not because the road is easy, but simply because their hearts dwell in God. They are so filled with God’s Spirit they can do nothing but praise Him. What an awesome way to live! In our own journeys, through all the struggles we may face as we walk through life, let’s be ever praising God. Continually praising God should be our life’s attitude.

Trust in God: “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (v.12). The natural thing for any journey, is to depend on a map; an outline of the way to go. For these pilgrims, Trust was their map. When we put our trust in God fully, His Word becomes our Map. We don’t need a natural map, knowing God will guide us. Trust is a naturally difficult quality to live by, yet it’s the best way to stay on the path and remain focused on the destination, despite the obstacles and struggles that will inevitably come our way.

Knowing our Strength comes from God: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You…They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion” (vv.5a,7). God’s strength is our energy and endurance for the eternal, marathon Journey of Faith. We are not strong enough on our own to reach the goal. We cannot achieve God’s calling for our lives without His help. We must acknowledge our weaknesses and shortcomings, and learn to rely on His Strength. When we feel we cannot go one step further or bear life’s burdens a minute longer, let’s remember that our strength comes from God and He will carry us from strength to strength until we reach Him.

As we embark on each new chapter in life’s journey, God wants our hearts to be set on pilgrimage on the Road that leads to Him – the Royal Route to Heaven! The goal of our pilgrimage is to dwell in God and all the rest are just stops along the way. Let’s learn to use Trust as our map, cultivate continual praise as our perpetual attitude and outlook, even when the journey becomes difficult, and lean into God’s Strength for our energy and endurance, for we can only complete the pilgrimage with His help.