The Pilgrim

Yesterday's Sunday word was one of my favorites... but prior to the preaching I and my friends led the Praise and Worship singing on our 5 o' clock service. That morning John (our song leader) and I looked for songs from among my Hillsong collection and came with a very beautiful line-up of songs: they include "One Day, Let Everything That Has Breath, It Is You, Reaching For You, Potter's Hand and You Are My World". God really ministered to me during the worship. I was kind of feeling down, discouraged, insecure, envious and for days I'd rather want to be alone and spend more time surfing the internet, reading books, designing a new blog template. I would rather choose to be alone than with people, but God intervened. He "bombarded" me with wonderful friends who stayed late at night (We had this "Lost" marathon and we're so addicted into it), and talk things under the sun just to keep me aligned in fellowship with other human beings. No man is an island.

Anyway, the word yesterday kept me more inspired, kept me alive with incresing strength and challenged me to trust God and not to shift my focus on Him. The world is from Psalms 84:

Psalm 84 (Amplified Bible)
To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] a particular Gittite tune. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1HOW LOVELY are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!

2My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God.

3Yes, the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young--even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

4Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

5Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings.

7They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion.

8O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

9Behold our shield [the king as Your agent], O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed!

10For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.

11For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

12O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]!

Verses 1-3 speaks about the "joy" of being in God's presence - into his courts, into his throneroom. I recall the experiences I have when I was so spiritually high, like I was on a mountaintop and in every moment I would findmyself praising God for his goodness, for his faithfulness - for all the wonderful things He has done! Even the sparrows (v3) makes a nest for herself in God's courts. His throneroom is our home.

Verses 4-7 speaks of man whose heart is aligned to God's heart. I like this so much, it says that if our strength is in Him we would find ourselves pressing with increasing intensity. Our life is a journey, a pilgrimage of our hearts along God's pathway (to Zion) and if we keep our hearts on track, even if we pass through the valley of baca, representing the trials, the dryness, the sufferings, the weepings, God will provide fresh springs, and our hearts will be renewed. They will be stronger than before (strength to strength) as we go further along
the road 'till we reach God's courts in Zion (for me it's heaven)

In verses 8-12, it the psalmist's desire and prayer and personally, I've been making this on my own - that God will look on my face for I long to be in His presence. Truly it is better to be in God's presence even just for five minutes of prayer than elsewhere. God is my sun (provider) and shield (protector) and take note of this: HE WILL NEVER WITHHOLD ANYHTING TO ANYONE WHO WALKS UPRIGHTLY. And in the end, we are challenged to grow in trust for "blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You (God) [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]!" v12. God Bless us.