“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca [Weeping], they make it a spring . . . They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:5-7).
Dear Praying Friends:
As he journeys toward Jerusalem to celebrate a great festival, the psalmist expresses his longing to be in the temple courts of God. Then he realizes that his most powerful desire is for the living God, in whose presence he desires, above all else, to be.
His heart is “set on pilgrimage”; that is, his chief goal in life at this point is to worship in the tabernacle of God. With this controlling passion, he finds new strength every day. Even when he traverses rugged, barren, and depressing terrain, he turns it into an oasis, both for himself and for others.
We, too, are pilgrims in this dry and weary land. Driven by various passions, we are really crying out for an experience of the living God. Regardless of whether we are aware of this, it is our deepest desire, and we really long to dwell in his house forever. If we make this our conscious aim, we will not only find strength for each day, but become a source of blessing for our fellow pilgrims.
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).
Yours in his comprehensive care,
Wright