Ewald Schmidt

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing… He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”Psalm 23:1,3 (NIV)

Our life of faith as Christians is depicted as a pilgrimage in various Scriptures. A pilgrim is someone who embarks on a spiritual journey. It starts with the experience that God is calling one to follow him. He travels with us on our journey of life, until we reach our final destination. David is joining in this tradition when he calls the Lord his shepherd in Psalm 23. He bears testimony that the Lord is leading and guiding us along our path of life, providing for every need we may have while we endure and persevere in our journey with him.

Undertaking a pilgrimage has become quite a trend in our days. Many people undertake the Camino de Santiago, the Pacific Crest Trail in America, or various other examples of routes that removes one from civilisation, and takes one back to nature, to a much more basic way of life for a while. One walks a pilgrim’s path. On this journey the pilgrim experiences some challenges, physical and mental, to endure when the journey gets hard. There is also the experience that the journey takes care of the pilgrim, in that every need gets fulfilled along the way. One learns some of the most precious facts of life when one starts to live intentionally - in the moment, being aware of God’s goodness and grace in all the small things one sees around. One of the most important experiences of a pilgrimage is the freedom just to BE. When you start seeing your life as a pilgrimage, you may have the same realisation as David: I am led, and I lack nothing. The Lord is leading the way, providing for every need I may have, so that I can make the best of this one life I have received from him.

In Psalm 120-134, we find the Book of Pilgrim Songs. These songs were sung when believers embarked on a journey to a specific destination. In the Old Testament the final destination was Jerusalem. Mount Zion, where first the tabernacle and later the temple was the symbol of God’s presence among his people. During this month we are going to read Pilgrim Songs. It gives us an opportunity to become aware of our own journey of faith, and I hope it will help us all to remember who we are, but much more importantly: to whom we belong. May we rejoice with David: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing!

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you have given me the gift of life. Thank you for so many blessings hidden in every single day. Please open the eyes of faith in my life, that I will see your goodness and mercy working in my life, leading me on your way. Amen