picture originally uploaded by yewenyi

3/10/09
Pilgrimage of The Heart

When the LORD calls us, he calls us to pilgrimage. In His call, we are created. And His call is the breath, the “inSpiriting” that gives us life. In His call we are recreated, we become a New Creation, shining in the light of His glory. Psalm 84 tells the story of physical pilgrimage to Zion for worship in the presence of the LORD.

This song of journey stretches across the centuries from a song about a single journey to the ancient city of God to a song about a lifelong journey to the shining city of God that John saw and sang about: the New Jerusalem, the marriage feast, the fullness of glory.

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts! (vs. 1)

The pilgrim remembers the beauty of God’s dwelling place. In the pattern of ancient Israel, he remembers by rehearsing the stories of Zion. He has heard the stories of Zion, of God’s presence, of the gospel of our King. In rehearsing, he can re-hear, for “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom 10:17Rom 10:17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  

WP-Bible plugin).

He has heard the Word of God. Resounding across time and space, the Father speaks the Word and he hears by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is calling. For “Wisdom is calling in the streets,” in the byways, in the forgotten places. Jesus Christ calls out, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The psalmist has heard the call of God.

Moses heard the Call in the fire of burning bush, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Elijah heard the Call in a shuddering silence.

St. Anthony heard the Call in the church as the preacher read, ‘If you would be perfect, go and sell that you have and give to the poor; and come follow Me and you shall have treasure in heaven’ (Matt 19:21Matt 19:21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  

WP-Bible plugin).

St. Augustine head the Call in the garden through a child singing, “Pick it up and read. Pick it up and read.”

St. Paul heard the Call on the road to Damascus as a light knocked him from his horse, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?”

I heard the Call as I stared over a dark lake as the first gleams of dawn pierced the darkness in my soul, “The morning always comes again after the night.”

This terrible, sweet Call has been likened to a Divine wound. For when the Word of God pierces the heart, we are ruined. What can we pray but, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And to be near you I desire nothing on earth” (Psalm 73:25Psalm 73:25
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  

WP-Bible plugin).

The psalmist has been wounded. Now he can only cry,

My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God. (84:2)

The ache, the burning, the longing, the yearning for a far country grips the psalmist. For he knows of a sweeter water, a well that never runs dry, springs that well up unto eternal life. And he longs to go and joyfully “draw water from the wells of salvation” (Is 12:3Is 12:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.  

WP-Bible plugin).

This longing penetrates the mind, the heart, the body, the very strength of the person. Once he has caught of fading glimpse of the beatific vision, his eyes are ruined for the dull beauty of man’s shadowy designs. He cries out like Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69John 6:68-69
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.  

WP-Bible plugin).

In light of the shining beauty of the Lord, it becomes obvious that all creation rests in the goodness of His love. “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16Psalm 145:15-16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. wait...: or, look unto ¹⁶ Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.  

WP-Bible plugin). The flowers of the field and the birds of the air do not strive but simply rest in the sweet radiance of God’s loving provision.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God. (vs 3)

Just as the sparrow is given provision and a place to grow and thrive, the psalmist knows his nest, his home, his true place of rest is at the altars of his King and God. Resting in the provision of the Lord, the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, he will know the deep joy of abiding love and he will sing.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah (vs. 4)

This rehearsing stirs his heart and mind to pilgrimage. He will set out on journey. Not for a token treasure or a momentary encounter but for the eternal City of God. He will go searching for the place of his resurrection. He will say with Peter and the disciples, “we have left everything to follow you” (Mark 10:28Mark 10:28
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.  

WP-Bible plugin).

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion. (vs. 5)

Now his whole life is characterized by pilgrimage. Every breath, every act, every thought, every struggle is incorporated into this journey of the whole person. This pilgrimage is not what Tolkien calls a “here and back again tale.” Rather it is a journey fraught with danger that ends only in arrival at the beginning and end of all things.

The pilgrim who has been swept up into the call of God becomes prayer, becomes praise, becomes a song to the Most High. This is more than words, it is the song of “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” flowing upon, within and through them. In joy and sorrow, in laughter and tears, in great faith and dark doubt, the pilgrim is moving with the breath of God’s love, and in the end, his life will be understood as a song recounting the glory and wonder of the Lord.

As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools. (vs 6)

His lifelong pilgrimage will lead straight through the depths of the valleys. He doesn’t not escape the valley of the shadow of death but walks, stumbles into the depths of pain, suffering and at times despair. But even here he is not alone. For the Spirit of God is enveloping, surrounding, transforming the pilgrim.

In the deathlike throes of the desert, he cries aloud for water and the Lord hears him for the Lord has promised, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water” (Is. 41:17-18Is. 41:17-18
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. ¹⁸ I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  

WP-Bible plugin).

There are times and seasons of weariness. There are paths filled with much affliction, anguish of heart, many tears and even despair unto death. But the good God of heaven does not forsake his frail pilgrims. He hears their cries.

Even though St. Paul “despaired unto death,” he knew the goodness of God that comforted him in deepest affliction. In his brokeness, he became an “aroma of life” to those who were being redeemed. The psalmist knows this great grace that can transform the deeps groans of Baca into springs of life and renewal.

They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion. (vs. 7)

As the pilgrim journeys toward Zion, he is being renewed both inwardly and outwardly. He is renewed in faith and friendship. For this pilgrimage is not simply a personal journey into enlightenment, it is a path of love, of friendship, of community.

What started out as the journey of one pilgrim becomes a company of talking, singing and rejoicing people. One woman at the well encountered the Lord of Glory. She ran home but returned with a parade of people hopefully looking for the Messiah.

Augustine encountered the lover of his soul, and ran toward that love. In so doing, he believed he was running toward a great company of friends surrounding the throne of God.

And so bands of pilgrims cross the plains of this life telling stories, singing songs and walking from faith to faith, from glory to glory, from strength to strength. While still far off from the Holy City, they perceive they are but a small band of faithful followers. But as they comes closer to the gates, they see more bands of pilgrims. And soon more bands of pilgrims. Soon they see multitudes of saints from across the ages walking from strength to strength. Finally, they hear the echoes of Jesus sweet loving prayer for his great Bride, the communion of saints, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21John 17:20-21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; ²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  

WP-Bible plugin).

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed! (vs. 8-9)

This growing band of pilgrims is now coming close to the throne, to the Heavenly Father. As they being drawing near, they bow and ask the Father not to look upon them, but upon their Anointed King, the Messiah. And as they speak, they join in the chorus singing to their King, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:9-10Rev 5:9-10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; ¹⁰ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.  

WP-Bible plugin).

Now in the holy city, standing before the lover of their souls, the pilgrims lift of songs and shouts of praise. They’ve found their true home. Up until now, they’ve lived only in tents. No matter how glorious and wondrous these tents were, a great more glorious home awaited. And now they can finally Sabbath. They rest in the goodness of the Lord who faithfully led His band of saints across time and space into the place of joy forevermore.

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you! (vs. 10-12)

Popularity: 5% [?]