Psalm 84:5: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, / Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.”

March 30th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

What is the Holy Spirit saying to us in this psalm but that we should put our whole heart, mind, and strength into our journey here on earth. We shouldn’t be people who are just letting life pass us by. Our circumstances shouldn’t dictate what our lives are. We shouldn’t just be “waiting out” our time until Jesus comes. If we are to make our lifetime count, we have to keep our eyes on the finish line. It is godly and correct to want to do something with our lives, for them to have significance, so we must put our whole hearts into the journey.

The way to succeed in our journey is to find our strength in the Lord. I read about a gifted pianist who was giving a concert in a large concert hall in Austria. When he finished the concert, everyone in the place stood and gave him a standing ovation. Well, almost everyone. There was an old man in the front row who didn’t stand, but everyone else was on their feet, cheering wildly. But when the pianist walked off the stage, he was crying. His manager asked him what was wrong and he said, “Didn’t you see the man in the first row who wasn’t standing and wasn’t applauding?” The manager said, “Sure, I saw him but that was the only person who was not standing and cheering. Why worry about the old man?” The pianist answered, “But you don’t understand. That man was the composer of the music I played tonight. He is the only one who counts.” Joyful are the people who don’t rely on their own human strength, capabilities, talents, or achievements but look to and rely on God. They are blessed, happy, and content with their lot in life. They are at peace and satisfied because they quit fighting for their own way and have accepted God’s way. God is the only one in our lives who counts; and He has covered our sinfulness with His righteousness, and our weakness with His strength.

“LORD, we do desire to please You and make an impact on this generation for eternity. Please use us this day to lead others to Your throne of grace.”