Genesis 47:9
“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my
pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days
of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the
years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
The Scriptures consistently compare life to a pilgrimage. When Jacob talked about his life he said, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years…” When God talked about the heroes of the faith He said about them in Hebrews 11:13, “…that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” God encouraged the Christian in 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts…”
God is teaching the Christian that we are not citizens of this Earth,
but we are citizens of Heaven. We then need to live our lives in such a
manner that we make the most of our pilgrimage on this Earth. There are
four things you need to keep in mind if you are going to make the most
of this pilgrimage.
First, life is a journey, be patient. The word “pilgrimage”
means, “A long journey to some place deemed sacred.” One mistake many
people make is that they try to do everything at one time and forget
that they have their whole life ahead of them. Enjoy each stage of your
pilgrimage. Whether you are a teenager, single person, young adult or
middle aged, enjoy each stage realizing that life is a journey. Be
patient with each stage and don't rush it.
Second, there is time to recover, don't despair. It is comforting
that God calls life a pilgrimage because that gives hope that we can
recover from falls and mistakes that we make along the way. So, you have
messed up a portion of your life, remember that life is a journey and
you have time to recover. Don't stay stuck in your mistake and think
that life is over. You are on a journey and you have time to recover
from any mistake you make. Don't despair!
Third, time is short, don't waste it. When Jacob talked about his life he said that the days of his pilgrimage were “few and evil.”
The man lived to be a hundred and thirty years, yet he said that his
days were few. Certainly life is a journey and you should be patient,
but don't waste the time away thinking that you can get to something
later. You will one day get old and look back and wonder where the time
went. Make the most of time while you have the energy and vitality of
life.
Fourth, years are filled with days, so live each day wisely. Every
day you waste not serving the LORD is a day you can never take back.
Those days will add up to years, and one day you will look back and see
the years you wasted with regret. Friend, if you are going to make the
most of your pilgrimage, then you are going to have to use every day
wisely and accomplish the most in each day. Every day you waste will
continually diminish the opportunities of tomorrow. If you make the most of each day, then your years will be fruitful years.
My friend, one day you will get old and will look back at your life
like Jacob. If you waste your life, then you will say that your days
have been “few and evil.” Don't let that be the autobiography
of your life. Make the most of what God has given you on this journey,
that is the only way you will be able to enjoy those seasoned years of
old age.