Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
ISAIAH 2:3
Have you ever thought about the way a mountain can reflect our lifetime experiences? Our journey usually begins with education, which could be compared to the climb up a mountain. We base our current studies on what we learned before, just as our current location on the trail was achieved by starting at the base and walking up and up. We have a goal in education, a degree or a body of knowledge, just as we want to reach the top of the mountain. The same may be true in a career where we start out in an entry-level position and build on it.
Trails in the mountains often climb to a ridge and then descend a bit before ascending again. Similarly, life is made up of high points and sometimes coming back down to the valley. There may be times of great difficulty, even failure, and other days when we can rest by a quiet stream in the shade of a tree.
We can take heart from the fact that the Lord is with us on this journey. Hebrews 13:5–6 reminds us, “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’ ”
Psalm 3:4 says, “I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.” We can respond with Psalm 99:9: “Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!” (ESV).
O Lord, sometimes life does feel like a mountain, much too big for me to summit! Thank You that You provide rest along the way and invite me to drink from Your pure streams.