The Privileged Life: Mountains
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2—A Song of Ascents
In my Mississippi Delta childhood, summertime felt like living in a skillet—flat and sizzling hot. So every July when my dad and mom piled us kids in the station wagon, hitched our camper to the back, and took off for the Smoky Mountains, it was like going to heaven.
Cool green forests. Icy crystal springs. Towering mountaintops and endless horizons. Those first glimpses every year of Smokies’ lofty heights sent shivers of excitement all through me. I knew one day I’d want the privilege of living here!
The Appalachians seem to have the fingerprints of God on them—rocky heaps shaped and smoothed into rolling ridges, covered by endless verdure. But they can be daunting to cross, as the early pioneers discovered. Gaps between the peaks became welcome sights to the settlers trying to haul wagons along rough trails.
God gives us other kinds of mountains to climb every day…workplace obstacles, family conflicts, financial burdens. At points, the path is muddy and challenging, and we slog along it. But the closer we get to the pinnacle, we’re rewarded with views to inspire us.
What mountains are you facing today? God created them. They’re meant to test us. But He’s there walking with you. When you ask, He’ll give you the strength to keep going…to put one foot in front of the other until you reach the place where you can almost reach out and touch His face. Let Him be Your Guide.
Holy God, Creator of the mountains—in nature and in our daily lives—bless us with Your strength, energy, purpose, and courage. Help us to meet the challenges to overcome obstacles and draw nearer to You. Inspire us, draw us, lead us to follow Your paths. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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