This post is part of the ChristianWriters.com blog chain. Our theme for June is “fresh air.” Click on the links to the right to enjoy what my friends have to say about “fresh air.”
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The contemporary Christian group, Third Day, has a beautiful song called Mountain of God. Here is part of it.
Even though the journey's long
and I know the road is hard.
Well, the one who's gone before me,
He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through,
now I realize the truth
that I must go through the valley
to stand upon the mountain of God!
Do you recall Moses’ journey through the desert? For 40 years as the Jews meandered toward their goal, following as God led them by day with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire. What a long, hot, dusty journey it must have been. How many of the people who had left Egypt died in that desert? How much suffering was involved in the journey?
I imagine the tents and the families; little children running past the crying babies and moaning elders, tired from the journey—emotionally, physically and spiritually. I imagine Moses, climbing the mountain and finding God waiting for him. It must have meant cooler temperatures, possibly even fresh, invigorating air after the heat of the dry, desert valley.
We too wander the desert of life. We yearn for a roadmap, forgetting that God has given us his divine roadmap right there in scripture. Sometimes—even with our eyes focused on God—we wander the desert valley. Trials. Pain. Worry. Grief. Setbacks. Loneliness.
These valleys make us yearn for the fresh air we can find when we stand on the mountain with God. Those precious moments when we feel God’s presence; know His love and grace.
Here’s to the fresh air we can find when we stand upon the mountain with God.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for walking through our valleys with us and thank you for meeting us on the mountain where you fill our spirits with your fresh air. Remind us that your presence, your word and your Spirit are refreshing to our souls. Keep us seeking after you. Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Was there a time in your life when you felt you were traveling through a long, dry desert valley? Was there a time when you experienced the refreshing presence of God and could look back on the valley and know that God carried you through it?
9 comments:
Beautiful third post, Carol. Some people don't know how to relax in the fresh air of nature. How sad.
~ VT
@ VT - yes, the fresh air is a gift of refreshment!
Oh, my, yes! I've gone through years of desert-travel! And God has always provided sweet oases for my refreshment! Thank you for this, Carol. Great post! Blessings to you!
@Lynn--thank you, Lynn. I love the image of God's oasis.
Terrific post, Carol. I'm sure we can all identify with the story of Israel's wilderness wanderings. To me, the beauty of that story is that God was with them the entire time - in the cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, the manna and the water. Often overlooked in the recounting of that story is the rock that gave them water, but I Corinthians 10:4 says that rock actually accompanied the children of Israel as they wandered those 40 years. Can you imagine? This huge group of people wandering from place to place in the most meandering path possible, accompanied by a cloud every day and a pillar of fire every night, eating these little white flakes they picked up off the ground - flakes so foreign to everyone's comprehension they had to name it "what is it?" - and drinking water from a rock that moved with them. No wonder the fear of them had fallen on the nations around them - who would want to tangle with a group clearly under such supernatural protection?
Oops, didn't mean to slip into Bible teacher mode. Just wanted to point out that even though God had them wandering in the wilderness all those years, He took care of them while they were trekking - just as He'll do for us, if we let Him. :)
@ Traci - absolutely wonderful how God never leaves us. There's so much spiritual food for thought we can take away from those 40 years of wandering.
Carol,
Yes, we all go through deserts and wonder where God is, but he hasn't wander away--we have. I'm actually going through a dry spell right now--too much going on in my life, especially dealing with my mother's worsening dementia. I need to climb back up the mountain. Thanks for sharing your words.
*wandered
I did proofread but my brain is still asleep.
@ Sheila - praying for you that you'll leave the desert soon.
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