Mountaintop Moments
Kim Johnson
The Lord our God said to us at Horeb,
“You have stayed long enough at this mountain.”
—Deuteronomy 1:6 (NIV)
The recent rain and cold weather has left our SoCal mountains with a beautiful blanket of snow. Looking at them has reminded me of the times I have spent with the Lord—on the mountaintop. We’ve all had them at one time or another: precious moments when we encounter God in a deeper, more intimate way.
In this verse in Deuteronomy, we find the Israelites having one such moment when they had gathered at Mount Horeb to hear from God. From Exodus 19 we know that fire and smoke covered the majestic mountain as lightening flashed and loud bursts of thunder pierced the air. It was a breathtaking display as God gave them His law and they were inspired by this incredible experience. Yet their Lord had not rescued them from the slavery of Egypt to settle near a mountain in the wilderness. He had brought them out—to send them in—the Promised Land. This was merely a demonstration of His power so they would know they could trust Him to conquer Canaan. As much as they might have wanted to stay, God declared it was time for them to move toward to do battle.
Being on the mountaintop is extremely enticing. Resting in the refuge of His presence, we find a profound comfort and we want to stay there. It doesn’t matter if you are in the middle of your alone time with God, at a leader’s or women’s conference, in a prayer meeting, or even just reading a particularly good book. The intimacy can feel fleeting and we wish we could capture it and stay in it forever.
God has purpose in His pursuit of us, however. He uses the mountaintop times not only for relationship, but to prepare us for what lies ahead. He knows what battle may be looming around the corner and He will not leave us ill-equipped. Instead, He meets us in those quiet places to demonstrate His love for us, refresh our soul and give us courage as we continue to follow His plan for our life.
Don’t expect to stay too long on the mountaintop. God has work for you to do.
We tend to seek the mountain tops in life
But it’s in the valleys where God makes the flowers bloom!
—Author Unknown