Traveling On

Psalm 84

The saints of old tell us that we are pilgrims on a journey and as we all know, constant traveling is wearisome. We long "to be there." Like children we call out "How much longer? I want to get out of the car." Sometimes we just want to settle in even if the place where we are isn't home. We're tired.

Our psalmist says "Blessed are those whose strength is in you who have set their hearts on pilgrimage." It takes strength from God to "keep on keeping on." And according the the psalmist the journey does not end until we appear before God in Zion. To encourage us he tells us "Better in one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. . . . For the Lord is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." This world is not our home. It is important to remember this or we will try to hold onto and settle for something less than the best, God's best. Without a doubt it is hard to keep going when our tired, outer body is wearing out and travel becomes difficult--when our steps are less sure, our minds less clear, our vision less focused and our spirits tried and tested.

Paul encourages us "Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

The writer to the Hebrews reminds us "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. . . you knew then you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. . . We are not those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved "(Hebrews10:32-39).

So, pick up that backpack, hit the road, the end is in sight and it will be beyond anything we can imagine. No good thing will God withhold from those who love him and stay the course to the end. All is ours if we do not grow weary and lose hope. So let it be!