May 5th
Pilgrimage
Blessed
is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. Psalm
84:5 NKJV
Pilgrimage is a word that
is not often heard these days in the Western world.
When I think of pilgrimage, I think of people journeying hundreds of
miles across treacherous mountain terrain to reach a remote, holy place of
worship. While there is some value
to such holy journeys, I think the kind of pilgrimage that psalmist was talking
about in the above Psalm was a spiritual pilgrimage that takes place in our
hearts. Our lives can be considered
as spiritual pilgrimages as we strive toward ever increasing
“Christ-likeness.”
After God delivered me
from sex addiction several years ago, I started out on my spiritual pilgrimage.
I’ve been learning each day, little by little, about how to live in the
newness of life that God has prepared for me (Romans 6:4).
The way has often been challenging to my faith.
I’ve had skirmishes with the devil on numerous occasions, but God has
been faithful at all times. I have
been greatly encouraged to see my ability to control my eyes and thoughts
improve each year.
I invite you to take this
pilgrimage into the new life with me. The
foundational requirement is that you connect with God each day through prayer,
reading the Bible and worship. As
for the rest of the details, the Holy Spirit will lead you along the way on what
to do. I’ve found that the
traditional quiet time is the best way to get
started on this.
As you set out, I
encourage you to also start thinking about what you might do for the Lord when
you are free of the sinful struggles that may hold you currently.
For example, if you are a sex addict, how will you bring glory to God
when he delivers you from your addiction? How will your lifestyle and habits change?
As we walk out our
pilgrimage, we can expect challenges along the trail like mudslides of
temptation and blinding snowstorms of past memories, but if we continue to stay
tuned to God’s word and the Holy Spirit, we won’t get off course.
Questions
for further thought:
Take a moment to
reflect on the spiritual highlights and pitfalls of your life.
When did you feel closest to God?
When did you feel furthest from God?
What does it mean to
have your heart set on pilgrimage?
What are some of the blessings of pilgrimage with God? (Psalm 103:2-5; Isaiah 26:3)
Prayer: