IF YOU KNOW ME, you know I love the mountains: the view, the clouds, the trees blanketing mountain tops (green mountains are my favorite); heck, I love mountains so much I got them tattooed on me. The tattoo comes with a reference in Habbakuk 3:19 “The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
Mountains are my jam. Something about them makes me feel like I’m really living.
I think God likes mountains too (I think).
Psalm 125:2 says “As the mountains are round about Jeruselem, so The Lord is round about His people from henceforth even forever.” That’s pretty encouraging.
in Ezekiel The Lord talks about taking the highest branch from the highest cedar, plucking off the most tender twig and planting it in a high mountain…in fact, Ezekiel 17:22-24 is an incredibly beautiful passage.
In Exodus 34:1-3, God tells Moses to ascend Mount Sinai to be with Him and imparts a great amount of commands Moses and His people are to follow.
1 Kings 19:11-13 tells us that The Lord ordered Elijah to stand at the top of the mountain so that He may pass by.
In Genesis 8, God passed a wind over the earth and the flood waters returned to their place and Noah’s ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
The Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice his son on the top of a mountain of God’s choosing.
There are around 244 appearances of the word “mountain(s)/mount” in the Bible. I find It so interesting how The Lord seems to wish to communicate with people in the Old Testament on top of mountains. Why did He ask these men to climb up these mountains to speak with them? Have you ever tried climbing a mountain? I tried once; it’s definitely not easy. Maybe it depends on the mountain you’re trying to climb.
I’d like to think that The Lord is fond of mountains; especially mountain tops, with lots of greenery. There’s a book called Hinds’ Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard:
It follows the journey of Much Afraid; a cripple living in the Valley of Humiliation. All she wants is to be with the Good Shepherd in the High Places. He tells her that He will take her, and that once she reaches the top where the Kingdom of Love is, she will be healed and be given hinds’ feet. He promises she will be able to leap and bound with Him from mountain to mountain.
But the journey up the mountain is long and difficult, and the only way she can make it is by taking the hands of Sorrow and Suffering to help her through the difficult parts. Much Afraid so wished the Good Shepherd could just carry her up immediately; it would be so much easier that way. But He reminded her that she needed to trust Him, and that the way He is taking her is the only way up.
Much Afraid wanted healing. Just like anyone would. But the healing process is always hard. Our healing process for the emotional and mental pain in our lives can sometimes be like climbing a mountain, or healing from a wound.
When you get a cut, it hurts really bad at first. It’s tender, it itches, it’s raw and it’s open. And sometimes it takes a good amount of time to heal. You have to baby it, take care of it, put medication on it, wrap it and watch it carefully so it doesn’t re-open or get infected.
That’s how it is when we’ve been hurt emotionally. Maybe we’ve been wounded, deeply, and our wound is raw and open. But we must take the painful steps in order for it to begin to heal, and the healing process is not quick or painless. It’s long, and it hurts in the beginning. Much like trying to trek up a mountain with a lame leg, our emotional journey through a heartache can be long and excruciating. But it’s necessary for us, because it’s part of the healing process. (In Much Afraid’s case, she’s promised to be made whole again!) I think God can make us whole again.
So as I write my final blog for this month, 2 days late on my last evening here in the tiny, unknown town of Lajas, I am literally sitting on a mountain top. A mountain where God has chosen to speak to me about peace, trust, the value of love for people and healing.
My sunset view from the rooftop of HOPE for the DR.
Mountains were the perfect place to begin the Race. I’m so joyful The Lord chose to speak to me on the top of one.
Love,
Maddie<3
