A song of ascents.

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
    who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
    blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
    for the man who fears the Lord.

5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—
    peace be on Israel.

Maybe I am just a little sensitive due to all the walking I have been doing in preparation for the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago,  but whenever I read anything, especially scripture, with the idea of “walking” in it, I pay particular attention.  

Psalm 128 is one of 15 songs sung by travelers on their way to Jerusalem, hence the ascent title, and the focus on walking.  This Psalm not only calls out the walk in obedience, but also translates “Fear” as “walk in the ways”… of the Lord.

Our walk along the Camino de Santiago will bring about many benefits.  Physical, emotional and spiritual to name a few, but none of these compare to the promises of the blessings called out in this Psalm. Who isn’t looking for the personal and national blessings identified here?

As you read this devotion, I will be on the road “singing” the song of Psalm 128.  I encourage you also to sing/pray the blessings of Psalm 128 for yourself, family, nation, and Church as we “walk in His ways”.

Ultreia…Doug

(Camino greeting meaning Let’s go forward)

127 1-2 If God doesn’t build the house,
    the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
    the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
    and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys
    giving rest to those he loves?

3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?
    the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows
    are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
    with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you;
    you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.

In the last 11 years over 35 women from Advent have “challenged” themselves physically, spiritually and financially to engage in the fight against human trafficking with Freedom Challenge.  In that time, our women from Advent have raised over 1.5 million dollars to rescue, rehabilitate, educate and prevent human trafficking.  It has, OBVIOUSLY, been a Holy Spirit led movement.  Why do I say, “obviously?”  Psalm 127 tells us plainly, “if God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks.”  We can work “our fingers to the bone,” but no matter what we do or where we are, the Lord is the One who makes things come to pass.  And to me that is a perfect message because human trafficking feels like an impossible fight to be in, but as the Psalmist continues, “Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.”  Thank you, Lord, for calling us to an impossible task, because we know that the victories come from you!

Susan Hagen 

126 1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,
    when God returned Zion’s exiles.
We laughed, we sang,
    we couldn’t believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of the nations—
    “God was wonderful to them!”
God was wonderful to us;
    we are one happy people.

4-6 And now, God, do it again—
    bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
    will shout “Yes!” at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
    will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

Anyone who has been on a mission trip will tell you, the blessing that you think you are going to deliver to someone else, comes back to you tenfold.  When Andy and I visited India with Freedom Challenge, we were in a church that was meeting in a school in the slums of Mumbai—they asked Andy to share a word from scripture and a greeting from Advent.  The people in attendance hung on every word as his message was translated into Hindi and then after the service, they lined up for us to pray for them.  There is such a beauty in people who are hungry for the deliciousness of our heavenly Father.  In the midst of a slum in India, in a little church meeting in a school—they couldn’t believe their good fortune that God loves them—it overflowed from them.  And as we walked through the slum after that wonderful service—we prayed for God to “do it again,” for every person we encountered, knowing that his promise is to restore all creation.  

4-6 And now, God, do it again—
    bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
    will shout “Yes!” at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
    will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

As I read Psalm 126 and finalize my packing and preparations to start our Camino de Santiago trek, I am reflecting on past victories and God’s faithfulness, that just as the Israelites experienced the joy of deliverance, this journey represents a fight for the freedom and restoration of those trapped in modern-day slavery. Each step taken on the Camino will mirror the steps that victims of trafficking take as they rebuild their lives after being freed from captivity. 

This verse is a call to endurance, faith and hope as this trek is not just a physical journey—it’s a spiritual one that echoes the themes of Psalm 126: from captivity to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from labor to harvest. 

Psalm 125: 1-2

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 

Let this “Song of Steps” resonate in you.  God’s Pilgrim sojourner.  But because you trust in the Lord and not yourself or anyone/anything else, YOU are like a mountain.  Strong and unshakable. 

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing inside your gates, Jerusalem.

This psalm was written for the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. They were making an obligatory trip to celebrate the High Holy Days in the presence of the Lord.  These words also describe how I felt when I heard that the Freedom Challenge this year was a pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago (The way of St. James). I rejoiced! This is a pilgrimage I have had on my heart for several years. The opportunity to make this pilgrimage as my first Freedom Challenge seemed like divine timing. 

For thousands of years, pilgrims have made the journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela via various routes through France, Spain, or Portugal. Historically, one undertook this pilgrimage to prove oneself worthy of entering the gates of Heaven. In modern times, though, this is a journey most take for personal reasons, be it a bucket list, a fitness challenge, or the perfect Instagram post. 

Our pilgrimage though, with the Freedom Challenge, definitely has a higher purpose. We walk not to guarantee our place in Heaven; we know that Jesus has already guaranteed that spot for eternity. We walk for those who can’t. We walk for those held against their will and trapped in the heartbreaking cycle of human trafficking. While we walk, we will speak on their behalf, raise awareness, and pray for their freedom.

PSALM 121 – A SONG OF ASCENT 

“I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth 

He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber.  Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep 

The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night 

The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” 

As we begin our walk on the Camino de Santiago I am comforted by the words of this psalm. This psalm is described as a song of ascent.  The psalms of ascent were sung as pilgrims climbed the ascent to the Temple mount in Jerusalem.  The ascent psalms were meant to encourage those who seek to worship God as they made their way up the hill.  It encourages me to remember that the Lord will be with us as we traverse the unknown roads of Portugal and seek to draw closer to Him in fellowship and in worship.   

In the first line of the psalm the psalmist looks up to the hills and asks where help comes from.  He then acknowledges that our help comes from the Lord.  Sometimes we look for help in other places, but we can know that help always comes from the Lord. The psalm goes on to describe the confidence we have that the Lord is with us every step of the way and that He will keep us from harm day or night as He watches over us.  The psalm’s final and ultimate assurance is that the Lord will be with us in our coming and going both now and forevermore.  We only have to trust Him.  

“Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory.”

– Psalm 24:8-10 NIV

The door seems like an animate object; however, one can perceive it as inanimate. During the preparation for a Freedom Challenge, one must focus on an opening. This opening has many perspectives as everyone’s journey is their own. As mother and daughter, the door physically closes as we make the literal departure from our home and go separate destinations; however, the door truly remains open to allow Christ’s strength, protection and blessings guide us on our personal journey.

The door that remains ajar is the one we must seek in order to obtain our assignment from our King of Glory. We must be willing to take that leap of faith and step outside the door. Sometimes it requires that we leave our comfort and the ones we love for a little bit, but it encourages us that we can grow and seek out the journey we are destined for. We all have different interpretations. And when we commit to the task at hand, we may just ultimately discover the King of Glory in a new light and when we do, may we find that deep radiant light that illuminates our whole being.

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage, as they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.  They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”  Psalm 84:5-7

So, for the past few weeks I have been on a pilgrimage.  Not the one I was anticipating, because as I write this, the El Camino adventure hasn’t even started yet. But, thanks be to God, I have taken a pilgrimage just by preparing for “the” journey.  

My first weeks of training had me humming along to worship music, trying out different shoes and focusing on what I wanted to include in my prayers. I had schedules outlines, bullet points, Venn diagrams, intended outcomes – once a teacher, always a teacher!.  God was going to get a very clear and organized “lesson” on what I was asking him for!

Then I listened to a FC podcast with a woman recounting her experience on El Camino.  At the outset her story was a nice reprieve from my prayer planning, and a good distraction while putting in additional miles. But, the more I listened, the more I heard – “thin space,” the blessing of silence, and to be sure you go in with “an ask.”  My first reaction to the last one was, check!  After all, I had a whole list of tasks – with outlines, diagrams and everything!!!. 

When she described her task as “receive.”  I was skeptical. It seemed way too broad, too vague, and how do you put “receive” into a pie chart?  THEN God spoke directly to my heart and my pilgrimage began. 

Let’s look at the beginning of our verse again:  “Blessed is he whose strength is in you, …”  I hadn’t been relying on God. I had been directing, planning, dictating. Directing? Dictating?! To God?!?!  

Then continuing, “who have set their hearts on pilgrimage,” It isn’t the finish line that brings the growth and connectedness to God – it’s the journey.  

“They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” The individual steps, turns, stops, bumps, breathtaking views – even what seems like getting ready. That’s IT!

Miles later, with a lot of scrapping of plans, I eventually found my ask: JOY – real Biblical joy!!  

For the women and children – for our family and friends – for our country and world – for our churches and congregations – for the saved and the unsaved – for the rich & the poor – for you & for me …Joy

• perpetual gladness of the heart that comes from knowing, experiencing and trusting Jesus.
• a good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the Word and in the World.

(I had to get some bullet points somewhere!)

 As you go from strength to strength, do not miss the leg of the journey that is right now, right where you are, and right as you are. As you find your strength in Him, set your heart on Him, trust Him, and have pure joy! 

Laura Bluhm

The devotions for the next two weeks will be written by our Freedom Challenge hikers. Most are based on the Psalm called the “Songs of Ascent.” These were sung by pilgrims as they headed from their hometown to Jerusalem for festivals. I thought they would be a good fit for us pilgrims walking the Camino as well as all of you disciples who are walking with the Lord.

Psalm 120  vs 5-7
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived
 among those who hate peace. I am for peace;  but when I speak, they are for war.