Strength to Strength - Psalm 84 series
Several years ago, I was joining a new ministry team, and we were talking about some of the particulars of that decision; we talked about the job description, future projects, and the timing of the transition. At the end of our discussion, I mentioned one other thing that I wanted to make clear: I stated very clearly, “I won’t hike.”
I knew they enjoyed hiking, because I’d seen photos of their team retreats in the mountains, and I *HATED* hiking. So I wanted to make sure they understood that doing long “team building” hikes into the summits of Spain wasn’t really something that I would enjoy. They promised never to make me hike, and they kept their word.
Flash forward six years, and how did I spend my last vacation in Spain? Umm, hiking all over southern Spain. So, what changed? Well, I lost 115 pounds. I got stronger.
The misery of hiking that I used to feel had to do with sore legs and huffing lungs and the awkward knowledge that I was holding everyone one else back because I wasn’t as fit as they were. I hated that I was already dragging long before we were close to the end, and I didn’t have the strength to make it to the goal. Hiking was awful for all those reasons and more. But, as I lost weight (since I did it the old-fashioned way: HARD WORK *ahem*), I gained fitness. My legs and lungs got stronger, and as I pushed my fitness boundaries, I realized how much I loved working out in nature. From a person who hated hiking, I became a person who now googles where I can hike nearby my vacation spots (photos above).
Psalm 84 describes someone whose strength is the Lord (vs. 5). This is the verse that I read last week that so caught my attention that I started an entire series of blog posts about it! From that first post, we’ve learned that these middle verses are about pilgrims making their way to God’s Temple on Mount Zion. In a figurative sense, these pilgrims represent our own desire to be in God’s presence and the effort we go through in our journey to Him. But as these pilgrims approached Mount Zion, the psalmist said, “They go from strength to strength… (vs.7).
Now, I started this series by identifying how exhausted I was feeling. Not because of a Monday or because of a bad night’s sleep--no, it’s a true, soul-deep exhaustion of very emotional months of isolation and overworking. I want--no, NEED my strength to be the Lord’s. And in this passage, strength isn’t a one-time offer from the Lord. Most people start strong and then get weaker as they go, but the pilgrims seeking God’s presence “go from strength to strength.” That sounds amazing! Where can I sign up for THAT?
Historically, the pilgrims making their way to Zion would join with other groups heading in the same direction. In one sense the words of this passage mean that they got stronger and stronger as the group became larger. Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’!” describing how the pilgrims would encourage others to join in their trip. Psalm 122 is one of the “Songs of Ascent” a collection of songs (Psalms 120-134) which the pilgrims would sing as they made their way --all uphill--to the Temple. Scholars believe that their rhythm and poetry suited the climbing, like a bootcamp running chant.
But the psalm also has a personal meaning, too. As they got closer to their goal, surely every individual heart grew stronger, encouraged and animated, cheerful and excited to reach God’s presence. Their hearts became strengthened and that gave strength to their bodies, too.
When we are exhausted, getting to God’s presence feels like an uphill process. But as we wait on the Lord, he renews our strength (Isaiah 40:31) -- emotionally, physically, and spiritually. That’s the only way we can go from strength to more strength.