Pilgrimage

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baka,

    they make it a place of springs;

    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

 They go from strength to strength,

    till each appears before God in Zion.

Psalm 84:5-7

How desperately I needed to hear this tonight. I needed a reminder that my life and journey with God is not a sprint. So often, I ask God for something and expect it right away. We live in a culture where the pace is increasingly fast, where impulses are easily gratified, and where our satisfaction cannot be delayed or else it is diminished. 

But these verses say that blessed are those whose hearts are on pilgrimage. Not whose hearts are sprinting, not whose hearts only see the short-term. Those who are in it for the long haul are blessed. The Valley of Baka translates to the Valley of Weeping. As we pass through the hard spots, we are refreshed. And we are able to go from strength to strength before we see God face to face. 

What comfort there is knowing that our relationship with God will continue to grow. We won't ever reach capacity, but we are given one revelation, one strength, one moment at a time along our journey. And the reward for us is God's blessing. Is there anything else we could desire more? 

Delayed blessings are God's way of perfecting us, building our strength along our pilgrimage.

Patience will pay off. We must have vision to see ahead and trust God's divine plan.