Why is it we tend to want to go from one high place to another? It may be a program, event, trip, award, memorable experience, etc. and once it’s over we want to jump immediately to the next one. I admit leaping from one mountain top experience to another is exciting and a great place to stay because it’s on the mountain tops where we usually encounter G-d. Moses did on Mt. Sinai; Elijah did on Mt. Carmel and Mt. Horeb; and Peter, James, and John did on the Mount of Transfiguration. Not to mention Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac on a mountain in Moriah, the temple was built on a mountain, and the disciples learned many a lesson on the Mount of Olives from Jesus. For mountains often had a significant role in G-d’s dealings with His people.
Why do we have these moments of splendor when most of our time is actually spent in the valleys between those mountain top experiences? G-d gives mountain top experiences in order to sustain His people as they go down into the valley! The revelation received on the mountain top is always intended to help us journey with Him more closely on the road ahead.
We tend to not like valleys very much. They tend to be lonely, hard, barren places which are challenging to journey through. What if we looked at the growth though that occurs in the valleys instead? Death Valley is miraculously beautiful in the spring time flourishing with all kinds of rich colorful foliage. To me this symbolizes the beauty in the growth G-d allows us to experience in these places. We get the privilege of walking out the last revelation He gave us as we build intimacy with Him on our way to the next mountain top where He will reveal even more. Sometimes the mountain tops seem right there all together without much valley time in between and other times the valleys seem to stretch out for what seems longer than a season or two yet G-d proves Himself ever faithful to not forsake us in the journey from mountain high to valley low. He even commands us to walk through the valleys instead of allowing ourselves to stay there…
We have officially reached the halfway point in our journey on this race! Some of us are in valleys wanting to retreat back to creature comforts of home as motivation wanes to be out here. Others are excited to be pressing on towards the path Papa directs. We are a motley crew for sure but I know if we lean into what He is revealing in each of our hearts and lives, we will get to the next mountain top more assured of who we are as His sons and daughters.
If you feel led to help keep me out here running the race with perseverance, please click the donate button. I have yet to be fully funded and could use your help.
