This Week In Recovery Lesson
Pilgrimage of Faith-Driven Recovery
Pastor Fran Leeman at LifeSpring Community Church in Plainfield, IL has been speaking recently about the Secrets of the Victorious Life. FREEdom from MEdom at its core is about the secret of a contented satisfied life as Apostle Paul declares in Philippians 4. Psalm 84 is all about having a heart set on the pilgrimage on the journey with Jesus, discovering rich revelation of truth all along the way.
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 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.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka (means ‘weeping’ or ‘tears’),
they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
This Psalm was written by someone other than David. When the Psalmist wrote this he did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in his body like we do in relationship with the Risen Savior. It’s important to consider this context while responding to the following questions.
- Verse 1: Where did the Lord dwell?
- Verse 2: What did it mean for the psalmist to yearn uncontrollably to be in the presence of the living God?
- Verse 3: What did it mean for the psalmist when he observed that even the birds laid their nests and raised their young near the altar of God?
- Verse 4: What does it mean to dwell in the house of the Lord, ever praising Him?
- Verse 5: What did it mean for the psalmist whose strength was found in a heart set on the pilgrimage in relationship with God? What do you think it was to be in relationship with God before the truth of the New Testament in revelation of redemption through the gracious mercy of the cross and resurrection of the Savior?
- Verse 6: What did it mean for the psalmist referencing passage through the Valley of Baka, meaning sorrow and weeping? What does it mean that those set on the pilgrimage transition from the valley of sorrow into the land of springs of refreshing in the autumn rain?
- Verse 7: What did it mean for the psalmist speaking of this transition or transformation from weakness to strength to strength to strength until appearing before God in the newness of life?
- Verses 8 and 9: What did it mean for the psalmist bend the ear of God desperately pursuing His favor?
- Verse 10: What did it mean for the psalmist to rather be a mere door keeper for one day than thrive in the tents of hedonistic sinners loving what they crave for a thousand days?
- Verse 11: What did it mean for the psalmist to bask in the warmth and protection and providence of God who withholds nothing from him or her committed to serving Him?
- Verse 12: What did it mean for the psalmist trust God and experience the blessing of trusting God?
To move on to the challenging application of this lesson, please click on TWRAC 030.
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