On a Pilgrimage

In some parts of the world the concept of going on a pilgrimage to a shrine or holy place is quite familiar. Unless you count the use of favorite vacation spots or going down the shore, the idea of going somewhere far away for spiritual pursuit is a concept largely lost in our culture.   

But…

listen to what happens when people set their heart to tread unfamiliar highways in pursuit of God.

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[c]

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d]
They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

PSALM 84:1-7 NIV 

Where do the highways take us?

Although the psalmist was thinking of pilgrimage to Jerusalem, it is interesting to note that the translators adjusted the actual words to the context of going up to Jerusalem. They are more literally translated along the lines of the roads within their hearts.

What lands do these roads pass through? The valley of tears (Baka). What happens when we pursue pilgrimage? Those places become springs that form pools of strength that lead us to more strength.

Where do we end up?

Like the sparrows around the temple building, we find a home with our God. Our pilgrimage delivers us to a place our hearts have sought to go. But, it is still a pilgrimage – a willingness to go somewhere with our Beloved, a cost and energy expended that changes everything.

Some believers, regardless of church, cultural predilection, or geography have their hiking boots on and ‘looking for a city whose builder and maker is God.’  I’ve worn out a few pairs of “shoes” but I’m not giving up.  I know where the place of blessing is, and my beloved is there.   

Looking for some trail mates who will hear the invitation and will join the triumphal procession as we go up to our blessing and inheritance, changing our tears and those of others, along the way.

If you would like to chat more about it – send me an email!

—George Davis

Preparing for a Fruitful Harvest

There are many factors that influence the yield of a crop. There are big factors and little factors. We can influence these factors to varying degrees. Experienced farmers know how to prioritize their time and resources. A few years ago, without much knowledge, I finally got the courage to break ground for a community garden at Ranch Hope. For help, I sought the advice of Dr. Veg to get things started. As an answer to prayer, he not only provided consultation, he also volunteered many hours on site to make the vision become a reality.  

Dr. Veg, A.K.A. Steve Garrison, spent his career with Rutgers University studying how to improve the yield of different crops without jeopardizing taste and nutrition. Initially, I thought his mere presence would guarantee lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and watermelons for everyone. After our first meeting, Steve helped me quickly realize that success could not be guaranteed, only encouraged.   

I was caught off guard by his first two questions: “Have you done a soil test?” and “How will you prevent pest damage?” To Steve, it was premature and foolish to think about putting seeds into the ground before establishing the right setting for them to grow. As Thomas A. Kempis stated, “The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” Expecting a seed to produce a bountiful harvest without preparing and protecting the soil will lead to either great disappointment or greatly lowered expectations. This is also the case if we expect a great harvest when sharing truthful words with those we have not first loved. 

Just as scattering seed is easier than preparing soil, sharing the truth is easier than loving people. With little encouragement, we will gladly choose to “scatter seed” among the heathen, leaving the result to God, over the work it takes to love the heathen. The cutting of corners leads to assumptions to justify the outcome such as, “No one wants to hear God’s word anymore” or “Only God can change the heart”.  Hopeful expectations wane. I am reminded of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13. Maybe our eloquent presentation of truth sounds like a resounding gong because we have not love. Maybe this is the reason for gaining nothing.

To be jointly yoked with Christ is to make every effort to fertilize the soil with love before planting. James tells us that “wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” 

 A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

Simply stated, connection comes before correction. Justification before sanctification. We were saved because He loved us while we were still sinners. In light of this, may we remember the words of our Lord: “As I have loved you, you must also love one another.” Jesus seeks to win our heart by first demonstrating His love to us. This is the secret of the harvest. To be involved in the harvest we must love. This is easier said than done. 

Jesus has reclaimed us by associating with us. He ate dinner with the “sinner”. He crossed cultural, racial, political, and societal boundaries for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Are we willing to lay down our selfish ambition to prepare the soil? He redeemed us by sacrificing His life for us. Are we willing to sacrifice what is ours to prepare the soil? He was long-suffering and patient as He remained with people through the renewal process after they struggled to maintain their commitment to Him. Are we willing to endure to prepare the soil? Like the keeper of the vineyard in Luke 13:8, may our request be for more time to work the soil, more time to demonstrate His love. His harvest results from a labor of love for God and others. May the Spirit of God make us able. 

 —Roger Garrison

We Are All Farmers

As I come out of our College of Prayer weekend, the question that stands out to me is simple: what do I need to empty myself of so that I can be filled with the life the Holy Spirit desires for me? Then God affirmed the question as I heard pastor Rick Warren speak about planting seeds and he poses the question: “What seeds do you want to plant this Spring?” 

Somewhere between emptying our lives of things that hinder our spiritual life and being filled with the things the Holy Spirit can only provide is our active farming. We are constantly planting some kind of seed—good seeds and bad seeds. Not only that, as Rick Warren reminded me through his message, other people plant seeds in my life whether or not I am aware of that.

Seeds are powerful! They always generate a harvest of some kind. So the question for us today is what kind of seeds am I planting? I confess I never thought of springtime as an opportunity to consider this question, but it makes sense from an agricultural point of view. You can think of it in terms of plating seeds in your life or planting seeds in other people’s lives. And the question applies to every aspect of life:

• Health

• Relationships

• Finances

• Integrity

• Career

• Spirituality

• Parenting

• Singleness

• Service

• Etc.

I appreciate Rick Warren’s thought as he emphasizes the importance of the seeds we plant: “Sow a thought you reap an action; sow an action you reap a habit; sow a habit you reap character; sow character you reap a destiny.”

So before you jump to follow every desire that drives your soul this Spring, give time to consider this significant question.

Now it is important to consider the extent of our planting. The way the apostle Paul puts it: “Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Co 9:6). So the second question we need to ask is this: Am I sowing sparingly or generously? How I plant determines the level of harvest I will reap.

There is no harvest unless a seed is planted. And the extent of the harvest I reap is determined by whether or not my planting is generous or sparing.

Wouldn’t it be great to take some time and ask God during these days to lead us as we consider these two questions:

What kind of seeds am I planting?

Am I planting generously or sparingly?

May God help us become better and more generous farmers so that our lives and the lives of others can be filled with the things our Father (the vinedresser, John 15) longs to fill us with!

—Diego Cuartas

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.

A Pause

Well, I finally got my first Covid shot! Aside from being almost 90, I can check many of the comorbidity boxes, so I guess it was time. And it signals the possibility that these past miserable months may really be coming to an end.

My daughter, with whom I live, is a NICU nurse at INSPIRA, and because of my extreme vulnerability and her exposure to new mamas who might be ill, she shipped me off to Ohio to stay with my son. I love all my sons and daughters, but I was there for months, and my life came to a virtual halt. I’m sure that many of you experienced the same things I did: I won’t bother to list them.

When I came back to New Jersey, some of my dear friends did come to visit me; they on the outside, and me on the inside mostly, and I was so glad to see them, and to talk to others on the phone. But of course because of my vulnerability I didn’t go ANYWHERE. And without my really being aware of it, it began to get to me.

I am really not a negative person; my children have often tired of my”Pollyanna” approach to things, but I recognized that I had little interest in going anywhere or doing anything. I realized that it must be depression!

One result of being as old as the hills is that I rarely pray results, except, of course, when asked to. I figure that God is not sitting up there waiting for me to give Him instructions. I pray for people. But I knew I needed something. He is my Father, He loves me. He knows me. To the best of my ability, I know Him. He didn’t want me like this.

So I looked inside myself, searching for the empty spot where something was missing. And it was so clear; it was JOY! I had no joy! I’ve had three knee replacements, so I can’t kneel, but God knows all about that, and He heard me anyway when I said, “God, give me JOY!” Because He did! Right then! I could FEEL His presence so strongly! And I remembered what I know clearly, that joy does not depend upon circumstances; it depends upon a relationship, with our God, who loves us even beyond our own understanding.

The Lord says I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and protect you.  So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey Him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure.  Psalm 32, v.8, 11

—Norma Stockton

Do Not Neglect Such Great Salvation!

We all have heard at some point or another phrases like these: “Do not take it lightly”, “Make the most of it”, “Do not take it for granted” when referring to a vacation, a marriage, the job, a career, a relationship, a new opportunity or an experience.

But what do we hear in these verses? “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Or “ How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1, 3). 

During my recent birthday I was meditating on these statements and the context where they are found. As I did that I was filled with gratitude and worship toward God. Something about recognizing that God created me not only to experience the universe He has made, but within that He wants me to experience salvation! He made me so that I could know Him and be enthralled with every aspect of who He is.

But I did paused for a moment and asked myself, “Why the exhortation to not neglect this great salvation?” Here is what I found. This great salvation has been presented by the Trinity—God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are involved in this great salvation.

The Son proclaimed the message to human beings and that message, we are told, has been attested by those who heard it (2:3b)

The Father bore witness through signs, wonders, and miracles (2:4a).

The Holy Spirit made distributions of gifts and supernatural manifestations according to His will (2:4b).

We can’t ignore the fact that this salvation we have experienced by grace is a big deal. It is glorious in nature. Everyone in the Trinity has participated to make a point: salvation is the work of God!

To seal this reality, we are given a sobering reference point to consider. Read if for yourself and take a moment to think about it:

“For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:2-3).

The punch line: if the message given by angels was “reliable,” how much more will the message given by Jesus in the flesh and substantiated and confirmed by the Father and the Holy Spirit demand our whole hearted attention and devotion? The stakes will be higher for us who have received this great salvation by the administration of the Holy Spirit. 

Because God’s salvation is magnificent and glorious, we should consider any ounce of neglect on our part the most absurd choice we could ever make. 

Lent is a season to marvel at this reality. If you need more pointers, I encourage you to read the rest of the book.

—Diego Cuartas

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.