Spiritual pilgrimage

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca” Psalm 84:5-6

The Hebrew word "Pilgrimage" refers to the highways to Zion. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place, such as a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. As Christians, we are not required to make physical pilgrimages but I believe our lives somehow undergo a spiritual pilgrimage to reach Mount Zion where we meet with God.

God is a God of hills and valleys, because everyone experiences valleys in life at some point, and one of the famous valleys in the Bible is called the Valley of Baca. Baca means weeping and tears, and the path to heaven seems to pass through this valley.

The hills and valleys remind me of my first Spartan race in 2018, which involved going uphill and downhill. As a leg amputee, I was unable to use crutches on the steep hills; instead, I hopped and grabbed my teammates' arms to climb; on the way down, I let my butts slide as the hills were like slides.  As I approached the water stations, I literally felt the verse 7 "As the rain covers it with pools" as I needed water so badly to quench my thirst.

Even though I was going through excruciating pain, I went from strength to strength, and overcame the obstacles in the race. How did I do that? My only goal was to reach the finish line. This was only possible by God's grace. Toward the finish line, the path became flatter, as if God had smoothed out the way and removed every obstacle like the "Highways to Zion." 

It took me longer than normal to finish the Spartan race, but it taught me perseverance and faith to stay on the course until the end. In our spiritual journey, we will face hills and valleys along the way, eventually reaching the "highway of holiness" that leads us to God's dwelling place.

Blessing prayer: Give us strength and grace when we pass through the valley of tears. May we go from strength to strength and set our hearts on your way to finish the race. In Jesus’ name, Amen