Shalom,
Please begin by reading Psalm 84:5-7.
If you don’t already know it, Mount Zion is the final destination you’re heading for as you walk with Jesus. Zion means citadel, a fortress. Specifically, Mount Zion is a portion of the city of Jerusalem. Spiritually, it’s the home of our God and King. It’s a specially revered place because Yahweh lives there and provides his prophets with revelation from it. It’s an extremely special place in the mind of the Israelite, and should be pretty special to all Christian, too. If we’re looking forward to living eternally with our Lord and Savior, we’re looking forward to spending some time on Mount Zion.
In certain biblical passages, Zion is the equivalent of Jerusalem. When that’s the case it’s considered as the religious capital of the people of Yahweh. It’s significant that the Lamb is said to be standing on Mount Zion in Rev 14:1. We Christians have at times lost sight of the riches of Scripture concerning some of these issues because of the popular end-times view of being raptured out to avoid trouble. But when you track Mount Zion through the Bible you find it still holds a significant place for the Christian. It’s where Jesus will be facing when he sets his feet down on the Mount of Olives during his triumphant return. Many of us sing “We’re marching to Zion” as a worship song. It’s also marching orders for the army of our Lord.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you.” To be truly living in the grace of our Lord Jesus we must work at being faithful. The Christian life isn’t merely “hard,” it’s impossible without strength from the Father, Son, and Spirit. Heb 12:2 says that Jesus is “the author and perfecter of our faith.” Author means originator and founder. Perfecter means fulfiller and finisher. We have to work at being faithful, but Jesus is the source, the place where we find our strength.
Jesus starts the work of salvation in us and he also finishes it. Our work is to get to the places where this can be accomplished in our lives. To live this Christian life successfully, we must have our Father’s strength, the strength that saves and keeps and enables us. Our own resources and abilities are completely inadequate for the task. We can’t increase our faith through knowledge or some sort of spiritual exercise. We increase our faith by consistently being obedient servants of our Lord. If we don’t show diligence and effort at gaining spiritual strength, our Lord isn’t going to be pouring out much of himself into us.
We’re given lots of advice for gaining and maintaining the strength of our Lord. Waiting on our Lord, seeking with all our heart, hungering and thirsting for his presence, and receiving the blessing of the Holy Spirit are just a few. The point is that this doesn’t happen by accident. When we’re purposeful in seeking and serving our Lord he provides the strength we need to walk in his power. He’s not seeking after our excellence, but for our effort. The excellence he wants to see in us is his own. The gifts come from our Lord. 1 Pet 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.””
This strength goes to those who “have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” We’re all on a pilgrimage to Mount Zion, to the place where Yahweh dwells. Pilgrimage here can mean the main road and it has to do with our lifestyle. Does our lifestyle keep us on the highway to Heaven? Do other people see that we’re fully dedicated to staying on the main road to Heaven? Our whole lifetime should be a pursuit of this holy place. We need to make our lifetimes count, to work at blessing and touching people with all the authority and power of the Kingdom.
Don’t be like people in the world who allow the circumstances of life to dictate how they live. When we believe in things like fate or destiny we become thermometers, always being ruled by outside pressure. Christians are supposed to be thermostats, affecting and changing things from the inside. Set your eyes on the finish line while you make your life count for Kingdom building. Put all your energy, heart, hands, feet, and anything else you have into being occupied with Kingdom business. Dictate to the world how your life is going to progress. Live for Jesus and exploit every opportunity to grow and develop for the glory of your Lord and Savior.
Also know that life sometimes brings tears. The Valley of Baca is the Valley of Tears. Trials and struggles are a part of life on this earth, but if we’re being sustained by the strength of our Lord they don’t seem so bad. Trials and struggles are common to every human on the face of this earth. But Christians don’t have to be so greatly affected by them. Don’t try to “faith” your trials and struggles away. Don’t pretend that they’re not real. Just deal with them in a proper perspective. See them through the eyes of joy, consider them with godly wisdom, endure them with divine strength. Don’t forget the advice of James 1:2-3. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Trials are meant to strengthen us.
Look at what we’re supposed to be doing in the midst of the Valley of Tears, building springs. “As they pass through, they make it a place of springs.” It doesn’t say that Yahweh makes springs for us, but that those on pilgrimage to Zion will build springs, wells in the desert. When we pass through the wilderness areas of life, the dry and arid desert places, we’re supposed to leave springs behind for the people following the same path. The word for springs means a source of life. There is life in the wilderness, especially after we leave behind springs of living water.
The story is told of a weary traveler coming across an old pump well in the midst of a wilderness. On the pump was a jar filled with water. The traveler was about to voraciously suck it down in his thirst when he noticed there was a note attached to the jar. The note said: Use this water to prime the pump and you’ll have more than enough, and some for the next vagabond. If the man had gulped down the water, the pump would then be useless. Because he read the note and obeyed its instructions he had more than enough for himself and was able to leave the jar full for the next weary traveler. Pay attention to your Lord’s instructions as you travel through the wilderness and you’ll be able to do the same for someone coming behind you.
It might not always be apparent, but right in the middle of our trails and struggles we’ll find opportunities for growth and blessing. In the midst of trouble we can prove Yahweh’s provision and care for us. We can find ourselves in some of the most amazing opportunities of testimony to others about the grace and blessing of our Lord and Savior. Keep walking in faith through the tough places and you’ll find the blessing and grace and provision necessary to reach the mountaintops. What is your attitude? Are you going to allow circumstances to make you bitter or better?
I found this simple verse which speaks some tough but necessary truth. There is no oil without squeezing the olives. There is no wine without pressing the grapes. There is no fragrant perfume without crushing the flower petals. If our Lord is allowing pressure in our lives, it’s no doubt serving a good purpose. If we’ll trust him and persevere, we’ll find the good oil and wine and perfume waiting at the end of our journey.
We all love the mountaintop experiences, the times of blessing and sunshine. But where does the fruit grow? Fruit doesn’t normally grow on mountaintops, but for the most part in the valleys. Yes, the view is much nicer from high up, but the rich dirt of the valley provides the nutrition for the roots of the trees and vines. Campbell Morgan said, “Faith digs wells in the driest places and finds the living water.” Another reason for the wells we’re building as we travel through the wilderness is for fruit to grow. All the time in the valley isn’t oppressive and terrible. Some of it is also sunny and beautiful, especially when we’re planting the good seed of the Gospel of the Kingdom.
When we pursue the Kingdom and keep walking in our Lord’s strength as we go through the wilderness, we’re promised to “go from strength to strength.” Strength here means capability, skill, might. We all want to be mighty warriors for our Lord. The way we get there is by walking with him and seeking his direct guidance, and most of all obeying his commands. To move from strength to strength means we keep following our Lord, every step of the way. If we move in our own strength we forfeit the strength provided for us. Our human capability, skill, and might will never suffice to get us to Mount Zion. Only our Holy Spirit enhanced capability, skill, and might helps us make our way to the city of our God.
And the scripture says that strength is provided until “each appears before God in Zion.” Our Lord and Master will direct our steps in his strength. He’ll bring us through to our eternal destination. If we hunger and thirst and put forth an effort of our will to pursue holiness, the Holy Spirit will continue to fill us with divine strength to get to our destination. Our loving heavenly Father makes certain all the provisions and resources are available along our way, but we must take up what he provides for it to do us any good. We don’t get to Heaven just because we want to. We get to Heaven because Yahweh wants us to. Our desire isn’t enough if he doesn’t provide the strength and wisdom and grace necessary for us to enter his eternal presence. We need his help, or we’ll be eternally stuck in the wilderness.
Don’t submit your plans for the future to your Lord for his approval. Pray and seek his counsel and direction. When you know his plan, be radically obedient, following it with all your heart. He already has a path he wants you to follow. Don’t make personal adjustments to it to avoid trials and struggles. Don’t sweat the trials and struggles. Remember, they’re for your good. Gain your Lord’s strength for the journey by loving and serving him. “Blessed are those whose strength is in Yahweh.”
Blessings & Peace, Mike
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Blessings! I hope that this study has enlightened you or helped you in some way. Please feel free to leave a plain old comment, or a question. Comments are moderated to keep the peace