How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalm 133:1).

We are continuing our focus on our journey. We have been tracking with the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) which sing of the pilgrimage that the Jewish people took to Jerusalem each year to celebrate their festivals, and they also represent the journey the Jewish exiles made back to Jerusalem from their captivity. We are applying this term “journey,” or “pilgrimage” to our growth in our Christian life.  Journey, pilgrimage, and walk are all metaphors commonly used for the sanctification process which occurs from the time we are justified by Christ until the time we are glorified in Christ.

Most of us do not travel alone through this life. In fact, if you are on staff at Nashville Rescue Mission, you definitely are not a solo traveler. You are traveling with fellow staff as well as the people we serve. Most likely, you also have family, friends, neighbors, fellow church members, and service providers with whom you “travel.” We are fellow sojourners, traveling partners.

Back in Bible days, people did not often travel alone because it was dangerous. They traveled in company, having a shared destination, for safety because they could look out for each other along the way. Even today, we as believers have a shared destination, and even though dangers might not be apparent, we know that the Enemy is putting every obstacle possible in our way to throw us off our path to try to prevent us from reaching our Promised Land. Therefore, we realize that as believers we are traveling in company and should be looking out for each other. Here are some ways that we can be effective traveling partners*:

• Wise up concerning the Enemy’s schemes. As Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians: Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11). Satan is the author of all offenses. His goal is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Can you just imagine how gleeful he is right now? We are paying tribute to Satan when we do not live harmoniously with our traveling partners.

• Encourage one another at all times. As the writer of Hebrews put it, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25). As we all know only too well, the Enemy is very effective in using discouragement, so we need to take very opportunity to infuse our traveling partners with courage; to speak life and not death.
  • “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).
  • “Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24).
  • “A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (Proverbs 18:4).

• Fight for each other. You may recall from the book of Nehemiah what strategy they had to use to build the wall while facing the vicious opposition. ^“From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” (Nehemiah 4:16-18). Make no mistake, we are in a battle. We must remember who the Enemy is and fight together, in harmony, for each other. Nehemiah and his crew were building the wall around Jerusalem. We as believers, as Peter put it in 1 Peter 2:5 – “like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.”

• Love one another deeply. Peter, in his first letter, used a framework of pilgrimage. In 1 Peter 1:1, he addressed his letter “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion.” In 1 Peter 2:11, he admonished, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul….” So, in that context, we are commanded: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Loving God and loving each other are the two greatest commandments, so it makes sense that Peter would say, “Above all.” Peter adds that we should love deeply. Not just a superficial love, but with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

My fellow travelers, I love the imagery of standing “shoulder to shoulder” in the following verse. I love you, and I am so happy to be with you on this journey.

“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder” (Zephaniah 3:9).

In Christ,

Judy

*With credit to Beth Moore’s Bible Study, Stepping Up.