Psalm 84:5-6
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka
(Valley of Tears),
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
As we set our hearts on a pilgrimage (journey to a sacred place), we must be clear in where we are headed and why. Along the journey we must be aware of the places we pass through and how we are to impact those we meet along the way. Our journey will only be as fruitful as our private ministry is unto the Lord. We focus on Him and find strength to endure with a grateful spirit. It's one thing to set out in faith but it is an entirely different experience when our faith is in God and not in ourselves. Our journey is about redemption, not just redemption of souls but redemption in every area of our lives and the lives of others along the way.
When we set out to start a business or ministry, the challenges are what drives us. As time progresses and the challenges continue, we often lose sight of why we started on this path. We refocus our efforts in regards to how to deal with the day to day challenges instead of refocusing on the reason we started the journey. The weeds of life appear to be overtaking our efforts and we begin to be drained by everything that was once motivating and looked at as a blessing. What happened?
What We set our eyes on, we become. We have been focusing (magnifying)on the challenges and we have lost vision for the journey.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.
As in Psalm 84:5-6 we are called to a pilgrimage and it starts with strengthening ourselves in the Lord. As we gain a fresh perspective (Revelation) of who He has been (Past), who He is today (Present) and how He wants to build with us (Future), we see Him rightly and are able to move forward with a hopeful and redemptive view. As we become more established in Him, we be come a spring in "the Valley of Tears". When we become a life giving spring through experience with Him, we can then lead others into this Hope Filled view.
As our perspective changes, we will take on daily challenges as an invitation to see Him in a new way instead of weighty and drudgery.
