Since 861, people in search of God have walked the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James). As the years passed, one particular psalm became known as the Pilgrim’s Psalm:

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber or sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

psalm 121

You can see why these verses might sink into the heart of a pilgrim, a person walking mile after mile towards an unknown place.

This week my wife and I and a group of friends embark on the Camino de Santiago. Although we established our walking route long ago, none of us know quite where the Lord might take us during our journey.

And that’s the way of the pilgrim.

Camino de Santiago 2021

Photo by Beth, a friend and past pilgrim

Several years ago, after each of my sons graduated from college, I gave them a sword that I bought in Toledo, Spain (a city famous for its swords) with this verse inscribed on it:

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13).

This week I’m back in Spain, and I read this verse as part of my morning devotions, which actually happened this afternoon due to a jet-lag hangover. The Lord brought this passage to my bible reading schedule while visiting the country where I purchased gifts for my sons years ago. Nice timing.

(In case you’re concerned, I also gave a sword to my daughter upon her college graduation, but I had a different verse inscribed on hers).

Paul’s advice to the Corinthians still wears well—keep your eyes open, stand strong, act like men (we’re often afraid to say that these days), do the right thing, don’t back down to evil. Finally, do it all in love.

Good advice for young men, and for an old man gallivanting across Spain.

I Corinthians 16 in week thirty-seven of reading the Bible cover to cover

With exceptional clarity, Paul reminded the Corinthians of the basic tenets of the gospel he preached: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and he appeared to Peter and the Twelve and more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters.

While the gospel means so much in so many ways, Paul boiled down the basic points: Christ dead, Christ buried, Christ resurrected.

This pointed tone of Paul reflected truth under attack. False teachers spread the idea that the resurrection never happened. It certainly sounds improbable today, and then as well. Paul pushed back strongly.

If Christ has not been raised, your faith if futile…

The young church faced this problem not long after the resurrection of Jesus. Why?

I don’t know all the reasons, but I do know of one—spiritual issues bring attention from spiritual places. Paul wrote to another church: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).

If the resurrection of Jesus is a done deal, then how does the enemy of our souls discount that act? One way is to encourage people to believe the resurrection never really happened, was made up—only a myth. It doesn’t really matter anyway, Jesus said good things, just follow them and ignore the hard to believe stuff.

Paul saw through this obfuscation, and reminded the church of the futility of religion divorced from the resurrection. Then this final shot—come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning.

It’s not make believe. Jesus is alive—he is risen! Don’t let any spiritual authority tell you otherwise.

1 Corinthians 15 in week thirty-seven of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Kelly Sikkema

David wrote Psalm 69 in distress—Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck, I sink in the miry depths where there is no foothold.

Honestly, whenever I read this psalm about undeserved suffering my first thought goes to the lyrics from Never Been Any Reason, by the classic rock band Head East. Their line save my life I’m going down for the last time resonates, but I believe they’re singing about a girlfriend, not enemies at the gate. But I digress.

David writes from a place of pain and confusion. He asks God to rescue him. He pleads his devotion. David prays for vengeance on his enemies. I’m astounded by his bald honesty—Pour your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. He holds nothing back, and we’re privileged to read these unfiltered thoughts.

Then David does something powerful. In the midst of his frustration and angst, David turns toward the Lord, not away. That’s always the choice in these situations. How will we react? As I read the stories of the kings of Israel and Judah, I see both decisions in distress—some turn to the Lord and others away.

In hard, challenging, maddening times, I face the same choice as David. Do I turn toward the Lord, or away?

I doubt if David felt like turning to the Lord, I think he did so by conscience choice, by an act of faith. That’s impressive, and hard to do, especially in the terrible situations life bring us.

Perhaps that’s what made David a man after God’s own heart.

Psalm 69 in week thirty-seven of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by nikko macaspac