Mountaintop

Don’t you love getting to the mountain top? There’s always a breathtaking 360 degree view, fresh wind gusting through your hair and a sense of peace as if you were physically closer to God. It’s a feeling like you’re alone on a deserted island surrounded by water where nothing evil can get to you. The glory of God shines brightest at the top; it’s as if all the cares in the world are forbidden entrance. The only problem is when your experience is over you are forced to go back down into the valley.

Thirty-five hundred years ago Moses was living as a shepherd in Midian where one day he climbed to the top of Mount Horeb. Suddenly, while at the top, he discovered the glory of God emanating from a burning bush. God spoke from the burning bush telling Moses to remove his shoes for the ground on which he was standing was holy. The eighty year old shepherd was completely exhilarated until God mentioned the fact that he wanted him to go back down to Egypt and tell pharaoh to release his people.

Six hundred years after Moses, a prophet by the name of Elijah climbed Mount Carmel. Elijah had one of the most glorious mountaintop experiences any human being has ever witnessed. In a challenge to Jezebel’s prophets of Baal, he called upon God to demonstrate His omnipotence. God answered Elijah’s call in a majestic display of awestruck wonder as fire descended from heaven totally consuming his sacrifice. The prophet then slaughtered four-hundred fifty of Jezebel’s priests. Now, that same day, when his life is threatened by the queen, Elijah turns and runs for his life down the mountain and into the valley of the shadow of death.

Nine hundred years after Elijah, Jesus Christ would have a mountaintop experience at His transfiguration; that is when He was miraculously changed into His glorified heavenly body. “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked to Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:28-37.  What a mountaintop experience that was for the apostles Peter, John and James. After this incredible glimpse into eternity these men didn’t want to leave the mountaintop.

The story continues “Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.” As Jesus, Peter, John and James come down from the solitude of the mountaintop they were immediately thrust into a throng of needy people, one of which was demon possessed. For the next couple of days Jesus is forced to listen to the disciples argue about which one of them was the greatest and then is rejected by an entire Samaritan village.

The plain truth is that while we will occasionally have mountaintop experiences where we see the glory of God, we eventually have to come back down the mountain and walk through the valley. Yes, it would be great to build booths at the top and continue to bask in God’s glory but there is work to be done by the man or woman of God back down here on earth. Jesus said “In this world you will have trials and tribulation, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world.”

It’s during our darkest times, while we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that we need to remember the promises of God. For on that final day, after climbing our last mountaintop, we too will receive our glorified bodies. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

I will leave you with one final thought to meditate on while you’re walking back down the mountain and heading for the valley below.

In the words of King David from the 23^rd psalm “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”