Moving mountains

These are my mountains.  I know they aren't really mine, but they have become a personal guidepost for me. They are the mountains I look at every day through my kitchen window. They are my daily reminder of the majesty of God, the great I AM, who provides, protects and points the way in this life.  These mountains have become an ever present compass for me as well. No matter where I am, as long as I can see these mountains, I know my direction, north, south, east or west.  And during a tiny window of time every day, the magic moment as the sun is setting, they actually glow in vivid hues of purple and pink.  It's nothing short of breath taking. It never fails to still my soul.  These mountains are life giving to me -  they move me. 
 
Yet, as much as I love my mountains, I am also aware of the barriers mountains can be. I have climbed and hiked these mountains,  experiencing firsthand the challenge mountains represent.  I've been raggedly out-of-breath, I have fallen, I have gotten lost in these mountains.  During those times, they have represented something other than wonderful, they have become a trial~something to overcome~something to conquer.

As I write,  looking out the window at my beloved mountains,  I know I have other mountains, that I don't love. I have mountains within ~ mountains I have spent a lifetime trying to conquer, only to fall or lose my way sometimes.  These mountains have names:

Doubt
Fear
Pride
Self
Prejudice
Judgment

Name your mountain,  whatever it is  you struggle with.  We all have them.  And Jesus knew that.  He tells us to move our mountains.  To tell the mountain to go take a leap into the sea.  He says this in reply to the Apostles who couldn't figure out why they couldn't heal a man's epileptic son.  His reply was all about their faith, or  lack thereof.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out? He said to them, " Because of your little faith.  For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.'    Matthew 17: 19-21

And in Mark 11: 23, Jesus says, 
"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea', and does not doubt in his heart, but believes, it will be granted to him." 

​  The morning that I read these verses, was a morning I had received some information that plunged me into doubt.  

I don't believe in coincidence.  I believe in an all powerful, all wise God, who loves me enough to get my attention, and experience has proven over and over, it is usually through scripture.  So here was this powerful passage, opening the eyes of my heart up fully, so that I had to write this question in the margin, 

"What mountain do you need to move?" 

I knew the answer.  Just as I knew it was about growing my faith. And so God and I got to work- to move a mountain. 

Moving mountains is hard spiritual work, ONLY attained through faith.  A faith that is available to anyone, who is willing to yield to God, and simply listen to Him.
Faith comes by  hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

As we listen, and as we mine through the word of God for ourselves, faith grows stronger and stronger.  We discover and apply the truths within, truths that have the power to change us, and move our mountains.  

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I hope I will always enjoy looking intently at my mountains, especially during the magic moment; that short window of time each day - when the setting sun paints the mountain in awe inspiring hues of purple and pink.  This picture, unfiltered, doesn't even begin to do it justice.

Nor I think, do we do justice to the powerful, life changing word of God, which enables us to strengthen our faith so that we can move the mountains within.

What mountain do you need to move?    

I pray you will mine in the word of God,  getting the strength you need to cast your mountains to the sea! 

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