The Pilgrim Journey

 

Heb. 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The faithful who have lived and gone before us looked for a better place. This world was not their home, they were only passing through. We live in this present world and seek love and happiness. We are all pilgrims on this journey of life and we who are in Christ, seek to live with the blessing of God as we journey. The destination is the City of God, but often the pilgrim journey is hard, filled with heartache and pain. I think of one of my favorite hymns. 
“I can see far down the mountain, where I wandered weary years, often hindered in my journey, by the ghosts of doubts and fears; broken vows and disappointments, thickly sprinkled all the way, but the Spirit led, unerring, to the land I hold today.” 
Unlike those who died in the faith before the coming of Jesus, we have received the promise. The promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, guides us on this pilgrim journey. We have the words of Jesus, “Seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” We walk each day knowing that Jesus cares and desires what is best for us. The pilgrim journey is not made alone. He will bless us as we trust and obey. He will carry us through difficult times. Like the songwriter, we also can know the blessing of God as we make this journey.
“ I am drinking at the fountain, where I ever would abide; For I've tasted life's pure river, and my soul is satisfied; There's no thirst for life's pleasures, nor adorning, rich and gay. For I've found a richer treasure, One that fadeth not away.” 
Is not this pilgrim journey the land of Beulah?

The Good Fight

 2 Tim 4:7
​​I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

I have never been to a boxing match, but I have seen videos of boxers in the ring. It is a brutal sport, and I'm not sure why anyone would enjoy it or want to engage in it. At the end of the fight, the referee will raise the winner's arm in the air, proclaiming them to be the winner, the champ. They fought a good fight and came out on top. As Christians, we fight an unseen enemy. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph 6:12) We fight to keep the faith, we fight for the salvation of loved ones, we fight for truth and for what is right. Sometimes, the fight comes with a high price, even unto death. Paul’s departure was at hand, his life was coming to an end. Each one of us is on a course, a path to heaven. The "good fight" may not be the same for everyone. The journey we take is personal, and we all fight our own battles and spiritual wickedness in high places. Whatever the obstacle that is put before us, we need to believe in God to give us the strength and power to overcome and fight to keep the faith. The end is near. We don’t know when our course will be finished, or when the Lord will return, but we must keep our eyes on Jesus, fight to keep the faith. At the finish line, we can raise our hand in triumph, and say, “It was a good fight.”

Prosper and Success

 Gen 39:23
The keeper of the prison looked not at anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

To prosper or have good success is a subjective word in our language and culture. We would say that a person who has obtained a good paying job, saved money for his/her retirement and was able to provide for their family has had prosperity and success for life. One would not think that ending up in prison for something they did not do would be prosperous. Joseph was such a man. He was mistreated by his brothers, falsely accused, and thrown into prison for what appeared to be for a very long time. Yet, the Bible says that the Lord made him prosper. 
This is where the world view and the Christian view are viewed from different perspectives. Joseph lived a life of surrender to his God. He no doubt had his time of discouragements, and questioned his circumstances, but his life was not his own, it belonged to God. Even in the dark times of our lives, we can trust God that all things will work together toward a prosperous and successful journey. Knowing that we are in the will of God on our pilgrim journey, we can be confident that He is in control and will use our circumstances for the good. 
In the case of Joseph’s journey, God turned evil into good, and Joseph’s attitude and spirit demonstrated the fruit of righteousness and holiness. He did not become bitter or resentful, he trusted God to make him prosper and have the success that was planned for his life. 
It is good to have goals and aspirations, but all is for nothing and of no success if we are not following the will of God for our lives.

Pilgrim on Earth

Heb 11:13 ….and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

This world is not my home, I’m only pass through, an old gospel song based on this scripture verse. We live not for this world, but for the world to come. How easy it is to get trapped by the things of this world. The things we buy that make this life more comfortable and pleasurable. We all like our creature comforts and find a measure of contentment in the things this world has to offer. But the things of this world will burn with the elements of earth. When life comes to an end at the time appointed, we will leave the things of this world behind us. All that will be left is our faith, and that which when did in the Name of Jesus. Things of eternal value, that will last for eternity. We are but pilgrims, just traveling through this world. Our journey, our destination is for another world. A city prepared for us by God. Let us hold loosely to the material things of this world. Let us set our eyes on the city above.

The Future of our Children

Psalm 78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

There are many hopes and desires that a parent holds for their children’s future. We want them to have a good life and have successful careers, chose a life partner that will stand by them through all the ups and downs of life. We spend 18 plus years of their lives training them to do what is right and to make choices that are smart. The journey before them, like all of us is unknown, we take each day as it comes. But in the face of the unknown, the one thing that we trust will go with them is their faith and hope in God. That they will not forget what God has done and what God can do. Living each day in the presence of God, listening to His voice and doing His will. The path they journey may be filled with thorns, and unpleasant events, even the lost of loved ones at an early age. We prepare our children for the road they will travel for we have no control of the road before them. May our children “set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments”

Through It All

Isaiah 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

And darkness shall be turned into light. Comforting to know that God can take a bad situation, a hard circumstances and do the impossible. Life is rough and the journey we walk is filled with dark valleys and mountains that are insurmountable to scale. Whatever the circumstance in life, He wants to help us make it through. We don’t need to walk this journey alone, He has promise never to leave us for forsake us. He will take us through. Through it all, we learn to trust and believe that in the face of mountains, we serve a God who cast the mountain into the sea. In confusion, He is our comfort as He makes the path we walk clear to us. He whispers, “Trust Me”. We are left to obey and leave it to Him to do what is best for us.

Walking Before God

Gen 17:1,2 ““I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”-

Walking before God. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the talk. Live what you preach and walk in His way. To walk is to be always moving forward. It implies that we are on a spiritual journey. To walk before God is to walk in the light of His presence. To walk in His footsteps. Because He is the Almighty God, He rules and reigns and is able to help us walk (live) a life that is “perfect”. As humans, we are filled with many imperfections. We see things through a dark glass and our minds are clouded with our own prejudices. We act and react based on our limited information and sometimes are led to judging or acting incorrectly. But, God is not desiring that we live a life that is void of mistakes or human error. He desires a heart that is perfect toward Him. One that will walk in perfect obedience to His will. Doing the will of God is a matter of choice, and we can choose always to follow His way. He has promised that if we will, He will do things in our lives that exceed our own human expectations.