From Strength to Strength

Life requires great strength to live, to finish, and to finish well.

But we cannot live this life at all in our own strength.  Just when we think we are strong, we quickly discover how truly weak we are in and of ourselves. Jesus said, "...for without Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

I've been camping out  in Psalm 84 as I've been preparing to lead the Bible study, "Stronger", by Angela Thomas.  Here's a portion of that Psalm.

"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 NKJV)





The verse that has won my heart's undivided attention is verse 7a. "They go from strength to strength;"

The writer of this Psalm is talking about how he cannot wait to get to the tabernacle where the manifested presence of the LORD dwells.  He is yearning and crying out for the courts of the LORD. He is desperate for a fresh touch from God.

"How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." (Psalm 84:1-2)

As the Israelites travel together on this pilgrimage to the tabernacle, they go through the valley of weeping called the Valley of Baca.  They need the Lord's strength to make it from place to place on the long journey.  Only with His strength do they make it and finish the journey well.  There's  nothing that they would face that Jehovah God wasn't stronger than.

The purpose of the journey? To be in the presence of the LORD, God Almighty!

The Old Testament is a mere shadow of the New Testament.  Through the life of the Israelites, we can see the present day pilgrimage of the Christian so clearly.

Are we not on a journey as well to one day reside forever in the pure, holy presence of the LORD, God Almighty?   Our salvation experience through Jesus Christ begins our Christian pilgrimage, and His presence is with us all along the way through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.  We are His temple. We are now living in His presence every day. How strong the presence of God is in your life depends on how closely you dwell with Him.  Read James 4:8.

There is nothing that we will face that our God is not stronger than, either. As we move from place to place along our pilgrimage, through those valleys of weeping and the fields of joy, we draw strength from God and God alone.  The closer we are to Him, the stronger we become.

Each step forward requires us to receive another dose of His strength to get us to the next place of learning, growing, trusting, and maturing in Christ.  That's what "from strength to strength" is all about...getting us to our final destination of the new Zion; the new Jerusalem; the new heaven and the new earth, where the pure, holy presence of the LORD is manifested, and where "Each one appears before God in Zion." (Psalm 84:7b) We will see Him face to face!

As I was dwelling on these verses, this old hymn we used to sing in church when I was young kept playing over and over in my mind.  It's called "We're Marching to Zion."

(Verse 1)
Come we that love the Lord, And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord, Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne, And thus surround the throne.

(Chorus)
We're marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion
We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God.

Words by Isaac Watts, Music by Robert Lowry

My Pleasure,
Melanie