Day 27 | February Devotional from Psalms "I've Been to the mountaintop...And I've Seen the Promised Land" ~ Dr. M.L. King
Psalm 84:5-7 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca [tears], 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.
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As pilgrims, we are called upon to do things and go places where difficulty occurs. Of course, life is full of challenges, but difficulties related to doing God's will bring the temptation to do nothing. As we learned in yesterday's lesson, The Valley of Baca literally means the "Valley of Tears."
The difficulty and suffering we endure on pilgrimage is far outweighed by the larger benefits and purpose of legacy. The best way to think about legacy is to consider what people such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King or persons who fought and/or died in World War II provided for us as a nation.
Our lives are better for what others have done. The text says, "As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring..." The word "spring" also means "well, or wells" referring to sources of water. Because an ancient pilgrimage often passed through desert regions, persons were tasked with making provision such as finding water. Digging a well was one option. Creating a well in a desert place not only benefitted the persons who dug it, there was the added benefit of "making it a spring" for those who follow.
This is what we do within our hardships. We look for a way to make conditions better for those who follow us. This is how we go from "strength to strength" -- not only considering "strength" in our season, but "strength adding strength" to those who follow us.
This is the greatest benefit from, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage."
In our American/western culture, we are mostly self-focused. From the Hebrew/African culture, this text is more culturally relevant. From a Black History perspective, this explains the extraordinary and self-sacrificial actions of our ancestors. The evening before he was assassinated on April 4,1968, Dr. King said these words,
"...I've been to the mountaintop...And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land..."
Those were the words of a pilgrim who left a legacy for all Americans.
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Reflection Question: What have you done as a pilgrim to make conditions better for others?
Today’s action item based on insight:
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