Heart Songs: Week Three | Entering God's Sanctuary (Psalm 84)Sample

Stay the Course

When Dennis Conner skippered Stars and Stripes to victory over Australia in 1987, he recaptured the America's Cup. The press lionized Dennis, but success came from the combined efforts of the crew. The sixty-five-foot craft is not made for rough seas, has no engine, and is not a good sea boat. The America's Cup poses the toughest possible test for the boat and crew: only eleven of the sixteen men needed can sail her. Each crew member fills at least two or three positions.

The ten thousand moves that go into a race are orchestrated in sequence to achieve maximum speed. Each task demands muscle, finesse, or acrobatics. And the captain is the person who knows what everybody is doing.

To sail the Stars and Stripes contains many parallels to the church. God designed the church to sail in rough seas without regard for danger. The church has always been with too few workers and too little money. Christians must serve as God has gifted them, regardless of where they are in an emergency. And even when the work is hard, dangerous, or costly, they must remain steadfast in their work. Believers must listen to directions from their leaders so they can continue winning others to Christ (adapted from Virgil Hurley, Speaker's Sourcebook of New Illustrations [Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995]).

In today's verses, the psalmist reflected on the weary pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and how the Lord provided them the comfort and strength to stay the course. The Valley of Baca or Valley of Weeping is a metaphor for the various difficulties a person might face during the pilgrimage. Though they pass through a barren place, they fear no evil, knowing that the Lord supplies all their needs. Even in the sandy desert, He provides pools of water to continue the journey with renewed strength and meet with the God of Israel in Zion. As they get closer to the temple, the journey's challenges become more bearable since they are almost there and can enjoy the delight of being in the Lord's temple.

Like these pilgrims, we must remain steadfast and follow the Lord each day of our faith journey. No matter where we are in the pilgrimage of following Jesus, we need to maintain our personal relationship with Him, looking for Him to supply our needs as He leads us to our destination.

Read the verses below and answer the following questions:

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;

Each one appears before God in Zion" (Psalm 84:5-7).

Practical Observation

1. In yesterday's lesson, the psalmist spoke of the blessedness of those who dwell in God's house. Who is blessed in today's lesson?

2. What is his heart set on?

Pilgrimage. Jews were required to make a pilgrimage or journey to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate special feasts. As they traveled, they set their hearts on their spiritual home, Zion. As "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13), we also should set our hearts on our spiritual home, heaven.

3. Explain where their journey took them and what occurred there.

Prepared. To guard against thirst, the pilgrims dug pits in the soil to hold rainwater. God was faithful to fill the holes. In the same way, we must be prepared to receive the grace of God that is always sufficient for us. "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

4. What did the pilgrims experience by walking in God's power and presence? What was their ultimate reward?

Personal Application

a. Are you currently experiencing, or have you ever experienced, an arid valley or a valley of weeping? Journal about your valley. Who is (was) involved, and what are (were) the circumstances? What did God teach you during that time?

b. Everyone, at one time or another, goes through valleys of hardship or weeping. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." How can we turn our hardship into refreshment?