The House of My Pilgrimage

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The House of My Pilgrimage
“In the house of your Pilgrimage, you can have hope, through the Word of God given to you”

by the Watchman
Dana G Smith
Keywords: Pilgrim, christians, Jesus Christ, world, Lord, God, Word, commandments
Words: 2029

We know well the word ‘Pilgrim’, and for most Americans it refers to the first people who came to these shores. They were not ‘Americans’ as yet, but were foreigners, sojourners, or pilgrims. They left their familiar shores and came to a strange land on a ‘pilgrimage’, that is, a journey to a foreign land, by a traveler or sojourner, a pilgrim if you will. We look on these first people to stand on the shores before the nation we call America was officially founded as the ‘Pilgrims’, even calling them the ‘first Americans’. But they were not official Americans as yet. But to these shores there were others here already, and although they were not strangers to this land, they also were not Americans, yet.  This, though is not about who or what were or are considered the real Americans. The truth be told, all are on their own ‘Pilgrimages’ in this world of ours.

As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, we are Pilgrims as well. As Abraham left his native origins and looked for a ‘city whose builder and maker was God’, he was a sojouner and a traveler. A Pilgrim, who looked for this city that the Lord had built.  The descendants of Abraham also were ‘Pilgrims’ in a foreign land. The land called Egypt and after 400 years came out of that land which had at the start been a refuge had become a taskmaster. The descendants of Abraham, “Pilgrims” and “Foreigners” in the land knew what it was like to abide under a hard hand, as slaves, and not actually belong to a place or a land. It was to these Hebrew slaves that Moses was sent to bring Gods deliverance to them and make a place for these “Pilgrims” in a land of their own. A land given to them by the Lord God.

The book of Hebrews mentions this about many of our ‘forefathers’ in the ‘faith’ who died not having received the promises. These embraced the promises, which were found in the book of the law, or ‘instruction’, teaching if you will. God gave them these promises amidst the teachings and instruction to his people. These became persuaded that what God had promised in his Word was true, so they embraced these promises, but they never received the fulfillment of them. Although they embraced them, and were persuaded that they were true, these people also “confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13.   Peter in his first Epistle, second chapter and verse eleven addressed the Christian believers in this manner “I beseech you as ‘strangers and pilgrims’.”

Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

There was no doubt that these believers some of whom were Gentiles, found themselves in a different world. With them were many Jewish believers as well. These groups made up the early church. They had been convinced of the Messiah Yeshua and his work on the cross, along with his death and resurrection. They knew and believed the testimony of those who had personally seen, witnessed, lived with, and were taught by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. These things put them at odds with the Jews who did not believe, of which, made up the majority of the Hebrew Jewish religious of their day. With these were the pagans, the idolater, and many others who served the gods of their day, they also did not believe.  This was the world the early church was in. Another world, one which the Word of God says that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” James 4:4. In short, they were in the world and not of the world. They were the light of the world, they were the salt of the earth, but they were not like the world nor of it! They were followers of Jesus Christ, separated unto him in righteousness and with a calling to take up their cross and follow him. They were in fact now, ‘strangers and pilgrims’ on the earth and now waited for the coming of the Lord to the earth to establish his kingdom.

“The House of My Pilgrimage”

If there is one thing that is missing from the ‘Americanized Church’ or the ‘Christianized Pagan Church in the world’ is the fact that we are different. We are sojourners, travelers, as was Abraham, the Israelites, all who claimed the Lords promises, and the early church. Today more than ever we must understand that as the world gets more ungodly and the church becomes more lukewarm and harlot centered, those who are the ‘remnant’ believers are not of this world. They are ‘pilgrims’. In fact they are living in the ‘House of my Pilgrimage’. This phrase ‘House of my Pilgrimage’ is found in Psalm 119. It describes the place where true believers are living. The House, is the world or the place where they now possess as a traveler, and ‘Pilgrimage’ describes the traveler or pilgrim as one who is on a journey in this land, maybe even taking up residence here but they are not home yet, they are foreigners, who are waiting for and looking to the ‘Kingdom of God’, and the promises to be fulfilled in us and for us. Promises that are found in the law, or instruction, in the prophets, and in the New testament as well. Promises that are laid in Him, our Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father who has redeemed us through his mercy.

Couplets: A stanza consisting of two successive lines of verse; usually rhymed

This phrase is found in an Spirit led Psalm that is also an alphabet acrostic. The Psalm is divided into 22 stanzas with eight couplets in each stanza. The couplets in the first stanza begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and continue in each stanza following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

In this Psalm, we find meditations on the Word of God, known in these sections and in the Word of God itself as the: law, commandments, testimonies, statutes, precepts, judgments, word, ordinances, and way, all of these describe the ‘divine revelation’ given by the Lord God in his Word to man.

The section that contains the phrase “in the house of my pilgrimage”, is found in verses 49 through 56 and the Seventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet ‘Zayin’ leads it off. It is interesting to note that each Hebrew letter has a meaning as well. So this 7th letter means ‘plow’ or ‘weapon’. Both of which perfectly describes the ‘Word of God’.  For Gods Word both ‘plows’ the hearts of men and accomplishes that which God has directed and won’t return void. The Word of God also is a weapon, one that forms the main protection of believers. It is Gods Word, that is a sword!
It is Gods Word, that when we read it, moves upon the hearts of men and women. It stirs us, moves us, convicts us, gives us hope, and provides us with many promises in that regard.

It is these words, which the Lord God has given, that the Psalm asks of the Lord, “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.” Psalm 119:49.  It continues: “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” This is what Gods word did then, it still does it today. It causes us to hope, by the work of God, through his Word and his Spirit. The Word of God strikes our hearts, in turn, it is planted, grows, and gives us faith to believe and hope. The Spirit of God, moves on that Word in us, and we have hope, walk in faith, and thus believe the Lord will fulfill what his Word says.

Psalms 119:49
ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
50  ¶This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

It is so important for us all to grasp this work of the Lord, through his Word. It can literally make us joyful, have peace, see prayer answered, and many more benefits of the Lord God, see Psalm 103. But it all entails us to be faithful, walk in his ways, keep his commandments, as our Lord Jesus Christ said, “if you love me, keep my commandments”, see John 15.  But when we read his Word, and then the Spirit of God quickens a Word to your heart, your spirit leaps, as does your whole being. You know, that you know, God has given you a word to believe, to hang on to, to rejoice in, and to trust that this Lord will bring it to pass, fulfilling it for you and in you. It is here that the Psalmist says further: “Thy statutes have been my songs in “the house of my pilgrimage.”

Psalms 119:54
Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

There is no doubt that when God gives us a Word, and it is truly given to us, we can hold on to it, let it grow, and combine it with faith, believing that Faithful is the Lord who gives us his Word. Thus in the place of your pilgrimage, the house, that land, that city, that town, that neighborhood, that building, and within your family, you are a pilgrim on this earth. In that place, in the “house of your pilgrimage”, Gods Word, his statutes, those things he has given to us, are the songs in our heart. They are the fuel to keep us going, the promises to ensure our hope, and the faithfulness of our God who means what he says and is faithful to perform all of it to those who love him and keep his commandments.

The Apostle Paul writes concerning this saying “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4.

It is through the patience and comfort of this word, the scriptures that we have hope. That this God who performed his word to those who were before us, will do the same for us. The same God who delivered, who healed, who fed, who took care of, who nurtured, who corrected, who led, and who did not desert his people, those who were before us, will do the same to us, if we believe, faint not, and hold to his Word.

It is here that I leave you with a great promise, given to us by Jesus Christ who was and is a minister for the truth of God, confirming the promises made unto the fathers. Of which, we have a promise made to the Gentiles.  In him, Jesus Christ, the Gentiles shall trust. Because of this, the Apostle says “¶Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” Romans 15:13.

Romans 15:9
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

Romans 15:10
And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

Romans 15:11
And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Romans 15:12
And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

May God bless and keep you in Him, let the Word of God dwell in you, giving you Hope in believing, as you dwell “in the house of your pilgrimage” for your Lord Jesus Christ.

The Watchman Dana G Smith Is 21:6

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Tags: Christians, commandments, God, Jesus Christ, Lord, Pilgrim, Word, world