The Great Pilgrimage

When I lose a good friend who has fought the good fight and finished well and has entered the joy and glory of the Lord, I find great peace and hope in the Psalms. Here is one of my Scriptural lessons for funerals and memorial services based upon Psalm 84.

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 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. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah  

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. 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! 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!”

More of God

Psalms 84:1–4 ESV “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 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. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah”

This Psalm is one of the sweetest of all the Psalms, and a favorite of many. It is a Psalm of pilgrimage, of a blessed pilgrimage. The Psalmist has in mind an actual pilgrimage experience to Jerusalem during one of three annual feasts, and then also its serving as a picture for us living as the People of God.

It is about the desire within the soul of every believer for more of God Himself. The Psalmist wants us to see that we are one in heart with these ancient pilgrims of faith. Together, we are the People of God who share a glorious eternal destiny. We long for the joy and blessing of worship in the presence of God. And we persevere until we arrive at heaven.

We do long for God. We pine for Him so much in our soul that at times even our body feels it. We know that where God dwells is the most lovely of places because of His Presence. This is what inspires our joyful worship here on earth—the hope of eternal and full joy in heaven. This becomes more a reality in our lives as we mature in the faith and as we approach the end of our earthly lives in the body.

The Psalmist envies the sparrow and swallow in the Temple area. They are so near to God, and perfectly at home in His Presence. The Psalmist considers how blessed the priests are who serve in the Temple daily. The pilgrims only worship there occasionally, and at some proper distance. But, he is so thankful for the opportunity to fellowship with His God. One day, the experience of the birds and the priests would be his.

In the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, worship and fellowship with God has been transformed—taken to a whole new level of joy. We have an even better taste in this life of what is promised us in the life to come. As we feed our appetite for God, it is true that we become even more hungry for Him.

More of Blessing

Psalms 84:5–8 ESV “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah”

Next, we observe the soul-satisfying blessing of being a pilgrim at heart. It is not just something the faithful do a few times a year, but is the very disposition of the heart. Blessings then come into the heart year-round by placing confidence in the Lord God and drawing strength from Him by faith.

This pilgrimage route is called a “highway” because many travel on it—many in the past, many currently, and many will in the future. We all are an encouragement to one another to keep going. No one travels on a pilgrimage alone.

There are many trials to face along the way. But there is no other way to get to mount Zion, except through certain valleys at times. Yet, even there God will honor our faith and make us drink from springs of water, yes even in the desert. We had no idea He could give such blessing, and provide so miraculously—and always at just the right time!

Pilgrimage is an intense adventure. It is an adventure requiring faith and hope. It is rewarded with joy and immeasurable blessings. As we continually move forward, our strength grows. Our hope increases as we are intent on reaching God’s glory.

This is Jesus’ desire for his followers to be with Him and to behold His glory. Upon arrival, gladness and joy overtake us, and all sorrow and sadness flee away! May we be resolute in our pilgrimage and our visionary goal of seeing God as our friend has attained.

More of Joy

Psalms 84:9–12 ESV “Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! 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!”

The Psalmist cries out in prayer for blessing and a display of God’s covenant love. And then he breaks forth in song over the joy that awaits him in the very presence of God. Christians anticipate their arrival; may we follow our friend’s lead. This hymn of praise celebrates the superiority of being with God. The Psalmist declares that just one day of this special fellowship on the pilgrimage is better than three whole years spent anywhere else. He considers that even being a doorkeeper at the Temple is a greater blessing than all the fame, wealth, and power of the world. May we see how ravished the Psalmist is with the love of God?

In drawing close to God, God becomes to us like the sun—bringing light, restoration to the soul, and hope for the future. He becomes like a shield—demonstrating His power, defending from evil, and giving security. He bestows grace and glory—giving power and strength, showing His favor, and granting honor. He withholds no good thing—pouring out His goodness, revealing it in all things to the upright.

You see, being in God’s Presence will transform everything!  This is the point: the blessing of pilgrimage is that the adventure and all you have seen and experienced will stay with you when you return home.

Finally, the Psalmist concludes with a blessing for all of us. He looks up to God and praises Him for blessing all who trust Him. The Psalm opened with the Psalmist deeply longing for God and the Psalm ends with an invitation and encouragement to everyone to put their trust in Him.

Put your trust in God, in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Stay vibrant in your longing for the Final Day of Glory. As you do, your resolve in the Great Pilgrimage to the Heavenly Zion will grow, and you will find perseverance to be a joy.

2 Corinthians 5:6–9 ESV “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”