No Turning BackSample

As we travel our pilgrimage with Jesus, there will be times of loneliness. Embracing your faith journey means accepting responsibility as the one who walks their own pilgrimage. Like I did, you may lose some friends in your walk with Jesus. Beloved, don’t fret.

No matter how much you’ve loved them or how long you’ve known them, you can’t let people influence you to sin. This is why we must cultivate godly relationships to sustain us. Think about people you can walk with as you and they follow Christ—God-fearing people who will encourage you to stay close to Jesus as you journey in faith.

Feeling lost along the way is also common. But remember, we walk by faith and not by feelings. Pain, too, is a frequent companion on the pilgrimage, keeping us dependent on Christ and humble as we move onward. Pain exposes our pride and purifies our hearts; it can also compel us to humbly cling to God’s promises and press into His presence. Relying on God as our refuge and remaining hopeful in His sovereign plan are essential for the walk of faith.

Whether you are closer to the beginning of your journey with Jesus or the end, reflection is also an important component of your faith. I’m privileged to have joined you for this start in your pilgrimage. I’d like to close our time together with a few simple but practical ways to move forward and to bless you with the following collection of prayers and thoughts.

May you learn the infinite value of patience. Never forget that growing in grace is slow-paced. You and I will be pursing holiness the rest of our lives.

May you travel in good company. Pilgrims grow as they go together. You become like those you spend the most time with.

May you learn the power of godly passion. A pilgrim’s heart ponders what Christ passionately pursues. Ask Christ to build a hunger born of passion for His Word and God’s Holy Spirit.

May you always cultivate faith in God’s promises. Pilgrims move toward the promised land because they know the Promised One.

May you remember—until the very end—that you are never alone. Just as you need to walk this journey with fellow pilgrims, God never leaves you, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

The cross before us, the world behind us, no turning back, no turning back.