Friday May 26, 2023

Today is Friday, May 26 and we are exploring what the Bible says about spiritual pilgrimage.

Each day I begin a pilgrim journey in the company of the Lord my God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I quiet my restless thoughts, center myself in his love and prepare to walk in his presence.

Pause and Pray

Father God, give me a glimpse of your holiness and righteousness. Lord Jesus, reveal the futile inadequacies of the world around me. Holy Spirit, guide me upward on the road toward maturity and grant me grace to travel the well-worn path. Amen.

Today’s pilgrim journey centers on the first of the Psalms of Ascent, Psalm 120.

I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. Psalm 120:1-2

Pause and Pray

The Psalms of Ascent are fifteen psalms sung in sequence by ancient pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the great high Holy Days of Israel. The first song (Psalm 120) is a lament – the mournful words cry out to God for justice and liberation. In order to go on pilgrimage and draw nearer to God, the pilgrim must want to leave their current existence and depart their present location. They must want more. They need to possess a dissatisfaction with the state of their soul and an acknowledgement of the unholiness of the world in which they live.

I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, your deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. Psalm 120:1-7

Dissatisfaction with the surrounding culture is preparation for traveling the way of Christian discipleship. I begin with an acknowledgement of deceit and lies. The lies of the enemy that whisper in my ear and haunt my life. The lies of advertisers, entertainers, politicians, social media and daily news. The first step closer to God is a step away from the lies of the world and the deceit of the adversary, the Devil. Meshek and Kedar are places in the ancient world that suggest the strange, profane and hostile. The names are a representation of the evil, chaos, hatred, and violence that I witness in the surrounding culture.

Ask: What are the lies of the enemy I have been believing? Where do I see immorality, hatred and violence in the world around me?

Pause and Pray

Lord God, you are holy, merciful and powerful. God, I know you love me and you want the very best for me. I am your beloved child. I reject the lies of the enemy. I renounce the corruption and violence of this world. I want more. I seek to grow in sanctifying grace through the power of your Holy Spirit. Call me out from Meshek and Kedar. Call me away from hate and war. Teach me to walk the path of peace. I read the words from Psalm 120 again and listen for the message you have for me.

I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. Psalm 120:1-7

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

I begin my summer pilgrimage at a crossroads. God wants to raise my awareness of the lies of an enemy who is called the Father of Lies. God wants to set me free from the shackles of deceit. God wants to destroy the lies that break my heart, injure my soul and prevent my progress with God. The Lord hears my distress and knows my longing for peace. He longs to lead me away from the dwellings of Meshek and the tents of Kedar so I can walk in his light and reside in his love. God invites me to depart from lies, deceit, hatred and fear and travel toward truth, love, holiness and peace.

Pause and Pray

Father God, remind me of your gentle mercy, unmerited forgiveness and loving fondness for me. Lord Jesus, free my soul to shine as a child of the light and confidently walk the pathways of joy and peace. Holy Spirit, bind up the wounds of my heart and comfort my loneliness, reminding me that you are with me always. Amen.

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Ephesians 5:8-9

As I leave this time of prayer, I go to shine the light and love of Jesus Christ into the dark and broken places of the world.

Amen