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Mountain Climbers

by Jerry Ousley  
8/08/2008 / Christian Living

I've seen some pretty spectacular mountains. Here in the United States we've got some awesome mountains. I've never traveled outside our country except for visiting Niagara Falls in Canada. I've heard that there are even more spectacular mountains than we have here in the states elsewhere in this world. I speak regularly by email to a brother in Nepal where Mount Everest is located. He's sent me some pictures of the highest mountain in the world and I've seen it on TV but I don't think it would ever be as spectacular as actually seeing it.

There are some wonderful mountains in the state of Tennessee. We've visited the Great Smokey Mountains before. We decided to go to Clingman's Dome during one visit. That's the highest point in the Smokey's and they have a tower there that you can climb. The day we went the clouds were so thick you couldn't see much. But then that was an awesome thought in itself to think that we were so high that we were in the clouds.

We had to walk from a certain point up to it. Let me tell you, to a fat man who doesn't get enough exercise that wasn't an easy chore. After climbing up the trail, on the way back down I was certainly glad when Debbie suggested we stop and rest a while! We stopped at least twice and I was more than ready both times!

We are also climbing a mountain in our spiritual journey. Jesus talked about our spiritual mountains. He said in Matthew 21:21-22, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." We've talked about this verse of scripture before but today I'd like for us to consider that we too are spiritual mountain climbers. In our mountain climbing experience there are basically three kinds of climbers; there are quitters, campers and climbers.

Let me explain. The quitters may give thanks and praise to the Lord. They talk a good talk. They may even appear to walk a good walk. They seem to be "on fire" for God. But after the talk is over, the dust has cleared and everything has settled down they will walk away giving all kinds of excuses as to why it can't be done.

Then there are the campers; they too may praise the Lord. They may even get involved for a while. They'll put up their tents and nail down their pegs and it seems like they may be determined to do some climbing. But only a short way's up the mountain they've had enough, will make some kind of excuse and may even say something like, "Oh well, a little is better than none," then they pull up stakes and head back down.

Finally there are the real climbers. They may not make as much noise as the quitters and the campers. It may seem like they don't have as good of an experience as these other two groups. But they have set their face to climb that mountain. Sometimes there are paths that are just uphill and sometimes there's a bit of cliff-hanging to be done. But no matter how rough the climb gets they are determined to make it all the way. They will do it or die trying.

In our spiritual mountain excursion we have to have this same kind of attitude. Whether the climb is easy (and sometimes it will be) or whether it becomes a "cliff-hanging" experience (and sometimes it is that too), we must determine that we will do it or die trying. We have faith in God. He's told us that He would move mountains for us. But sometimes instead of moving the mountain He decides it's best to move us over them. No one who has gone before will tell us that it's always easy; but let me assure you that the experience is one that is well worth it. Climb that mountain!

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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