Psalm 84:5-7 — Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

Choir practice tonight. Perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to these thoughts about Psalm 84 which Myra and I read in our devotions this morning.

It’s a familiar admonition:

let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

It translates to “go to church”! But there’s much more to it than that. God doesn’t just command church attendance, He commands praise and worship. Sometimes I have the feeling that many modern Christians don’t really “get”that idea. Church is a duty and enthusiastic praise is slightly embarrassing. The Israelites didn’t see it that way.

Worship — public worship — was a natural part of Jewish life. Worship was at its best in the temple at Jerusalem. Psalm 84 is an expression of that sentiment. 

It’s not clear who the author was — it might have been David, the “sweet singer of Israel”, but there’s no evidence to support a strong claim.

It’s also not clear if Psalm 84 is really a “pilgrim” psalm like Psalms 121-134, but it is full of the sense of pilgrimage. My chosen verses can be considered in that context.

Did you ever go on a long hike? Myra and I used to do it quite often. You’d think that it would get more and more tiring as the end approaches, but I never found it to be like that. I always found that the sight of journey’s end gave me an extra boost. That’s what the Psalmist was talking about when He said “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; … They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” As the pilgrim nears Jerusalem, he goes from strength to strength. That’s an experience that I can relate to. Drawing near for worship is a reliable source of refreshment.

Another part of my passage is very much about the journey to Jerusalem. “Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.” The text might have been translated “Who passing through the vale of tears make it a well; the rain covers it with blessings”. As the pilgrim passed through the valley of the Rephaim, an arid waste, they were sometimes blessed with rain, but they were always blessed by the pilgrimage. So it is for me as I go from Sunday to Sunday, from worship service to worship service. The weeks can be dry and difficult, but there is always refreshment in knowing Sunday’s coming.

Life itself is, of course, a pilgrimage. We will pass through the vale of tears many times, but John Bunyan confirms the pilgrim’s confidence:

He who would valiant be ‘gainst all disaster,

let him in constancy follow the Master.

There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent

his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

With such certainty, how can we refrain from praise and worship as we live our pilgrim lives. Go to church. Worship with a will. Go from strength to strength!