What is it about mountains?
Moses met with God there.
The Samaritans and Jews argued over which one people should worship on.
People have called them holy.
Jesus went up them to pray.
We marvel at photos of them, take vacations to climb them, and even use them in reference to the best points of our lives.
Called “mountaintop experiences,” we see ascending to the highest heights we can reach as arriving at the pinnacles of life. It’s there we feel close to the Lord and immensely blessed. Reaching mountaintop experiences tends to fan the flame in our hearts and energize us. It’s an achievement and a reward.
But what’s so special about a mountaintop? I think it’s the view. Share on XWhen perched on a mountaintop, we look out over the valleys. From up high, they’re beautiful. All the gullies, forests, desserts, and rivers we struggled to forge look small and surmountable. They’re wonderfully placed, textures in a scene hand drawn by God.
From up high, we feel a bit like we get to glimpse of God’s perspective.
“From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” –Psalm 33:13-15
Looking down from on high, we get to watch like the Lord does. We can peer into others’ lives, into grander plans, to see how all the lows of life are glorious to behold etched out on the landscape of the Lord.
The perspective gives us pause to consider what all the valleys are for and how beautiful the walk of faith is. We get a peek into how life works, and how marvelous His design is. The distance reminds us of the One who is forming the terrain of this world and human hearts still.
Our view from the mountaintop reveals that He is, indeed, making all things new.
As we trudge through the lowlands, our feet fixed on a path ever moving upward, we can take heart in that fact.
The God who made the mountain and its panoramic view is making us in the valleys too.
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So true- from the top of the mountain we see the big picture and things make sense in a way that they don’t when you’re down in the midst of it. I think it is a bit like seeing it from God’s perspective.
Me too, Lesley : )
I’m so grateful for those photos that can show us the view because climbing mountains is not my thing. haha I love the point that from that view the rivers, etc. we tried to forge look small and easy.
HA, Kelly, Im more of a drive up then take a leisurely walk a little ways farther type myself : ) But the view is worth it!!
I think it’s so funny how we have posts on such similar ideas lately. At first I thought they were (playfully) warring posts….yours about the mountaintop, mine about the journey. But then I realized God wants us to have ALL of it! He wants us to see Him on the way up. He wants us to see Him in that amazing mountaintop view. And He wants us to see Him all the way down. He’s there for all of it. 🙂
I thought the same at first, and then as I read yours was so delighted to think about how God is with us in all of it and shapes both those perspectives in the different parts of our lives : )
This is a beautiful reflection of God continuing to form us from above.
Thank you!
Love this! I think the mountaintop experiences are when we can see, in a small way, things the way God sees them. And then when we lose that perspective, I think that is when we’ve started our descent into a valley…
I, too, love photos of mountains so I don’t have to climb them myself to see the view!
So true, Jerralea! I love photos of them for the same reason haha!