Pilgrims or Settlers
“So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus...”
The Pilgrimage: Christians Seek the City to Come
To make ourselves at home on this earth is to limit our call as Christians. This world is not our home. A pilgrim is a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons. The word pilgrim is synonymous with the words worshiper, devotee, and believer. A Christian is a pilgrim. We are believing and worshiping devotees of Jesus Christ, and we are on a daily journey to that sacred place called the eternal presence of the Lord. When this life becomes more important to us than the next, it is an indication that we have changed our name from pilgrim to settler. It means that we are putting down roots in the wrong place.
Psalm 84:5-7 describes our pilgrimage in this life and the wonderful results at the end of our journey: " Blessed is the man whose strength is in you; Who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage (Hebrew Names Version). Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God (KJV)."
Blessed is the man whose strength is in you: When our strength, which is our material, physical, personal, social, and political might, is found in the Lord, we are called blessed. Blessed is the word happy and comes from the word which means to go straight, to advance, and to make progress. When our strength is found in the Lord, we are on a forward moving journey of happiness.
Who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage (Hebrew Names Version). Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them: Not only is it important on our pilgrimage to find our strength in the Lord, but everything within us must be determined to stay on this pilgrimage. The heart is the inner man made up of our mind, will, understanding, and passions. The heart is the seat of our appetites. Our minds must be fixed on this pilgrimage. We know our ultimate destination is the eternal presence of the Lord, but how we get there is in the hands of the Lord. Our wills must be submitted to His will for us on this journey, no matter what it looks like. If we are to remain pilgrims and stay away from becoming settlers, our passion must remain for the Lord and not turn to the things of the world. Our appetites must be for Him; to keep a continual hunger and thirst for His presence and His will for us.
Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well: There are times when this won’t be easy. Yes, we are on a forward moving journey of happiness, but on that journey, we will pass through the valley of Baca. Baca means weeping. There will be tears on this journey, but the most important thing to remember is that we pass through the valley of tears. We go beyond it, we leave this place. Pilgrims keep moving through times of weeping. We don’t let it stop us; instead, we make this place of mourning a well (a spring). The word “make” means to take a stand or to set our mind to something. We don’t let the cause of the weeping stop us. Instead, we take a stand against whatever is causing the tears and our mourning is turned into dancing. That barren valley has become a spring where new life can come forth.
They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God: The word strength here is different from the word strength in verse 5. This strength comes from a period of waiting anxiously, from travailing. This is a strength that comes from past pain and fear. This word strength comes from the word that means to twist, whirl, or dance. This word strength makes me think of a person dancing their way out of depression or oppression. This word strength makes me think of the person who fights through fear and pain knowing that joy is on the other side. It is the power we walk in after having gone through the fire.
“How blissful are they who find their strength in the Lord, within their hearts are the highways of holiness! Even when their path winds through the dark valley of tears, they find the pleasant oasis of refreshing where others find only pain. In their joy it will become to them a brook of blessing. They grow stronger with every step forward, until they find all their strength in You. And the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion!”