"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage."
Psalm 84:5 (NIV)
The ancient Israelites were commanded (Dt. 16:16) to appear three times a year before the LORD at the tabernacle/temple. This required great effort on their part as they traveled with their family with food, clothing, and animals for sacrifices. They traveled by foot over land that was the opposite of flat and they would be away from their homes for a week or more. It is easy to understand why some of they just didn't bother. In our day, many of us find loading the kids into a minivan and going to a church for 3 hours too much to handle. If we lived in their day, would any of us ever go to the temple? This seems to be the point of the verse after all; the blessing is for those whose hearts are set on the sacred journey. If you didn't really want to do it, after you a while you wouldn't. You wouldn't expend the energy; you wouldn't give up the time. You wouldn't spend your money and you would come up with a myriad of excuses - sorry, I mean reasons.
In this age of grace, our Lord told us that we don't have to worship on Mt Zion, but that we must worship in spirit and in truth (Jn 4). But our hearts still must be set on this sacred journey or we will not put the energy, time, money and sacrifice into seeking God, His kingdom, and His Presence in our lives in 2013.
So friend, the question before us today is the question of heart: is my heart set on the pilgrimage, on the sacred journey towards my God? Change my heart this day my Lord. Draw me to Yourself. Lead me from strength to strength.
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