Much of the Bible is dedicated to waiting. In fact, one might say that the Bible is a story of how to live while waiting for something. Abraham waited decades for his promised son, Israel wandered for 40 years waiting for the Promised Land, then come the prophets who start talking about a great "Day of the LORD," which people http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhave to wait for. Jesus is finally born, and we wait 30+ years for His ministry to begin. Jesus ascends with a promised return close at hand- an event we have been waiting 2000 years for.
Psalm 123 is the for the pilgrim with a long journey, one that might last days or weeks, and one that is fraught with troubles. The pilgrim looks up to God, not pridefully stating what he or she should get, but hoping for mercy. In my pilgrimage, I find that I am waiting as well. I wait for my own transformation, I wait for the liberation of others (learning just yesterday that my Hershey's Cookies and Cream bar-fueled Grand Rapids trip was directly funding human trafficking), and it can get defeating. It can be tempting to pick up my ball and go home, and tire of hoping for something to change.
Jesus tells the story of a widow who beats down the door of a judge, hoping for justice. Jesus says that this story is to encourage all who pray for justice (Luke 18:7) and never give up (18:1). Thus, when it seems like I should go home, the place I should really go is to God's throne and come back as a servant and keep on praying. May you keep on praying in your pilgrimage.
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