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Satan tries to distract us by putting obstacles in our way; sometimes they are small stumbling blocks to trip us up, but some seem like mountains. God tests our faith with storms and hardships as well. It isn’t always easy to tell the difference. Is it tests of our faith that will strengthen us for even bigger trials ahead; or is it an attempt to block our progress? Our first reaction is usually to turn to the scripture where Jesus teaches that with faith as small as a mustard seed you can move a mountain. (Matthew 17:20) Then pray for the stumbling blocks and mountain to be moved out of our path. And by faith, it will happen. However, if it is a test, it might not even be a test of our faith, but a test of our willingness to rely on God’s strength within us to overcome anything we encounter. If that is the case, the climb may seem difficult and treacherous, but like a real mountain climb, the rarified atmosphere and the view from the peak will take our breath away.
I heard a song by the Hopper Family gospel group that did not sound at all like something I would pray. The name of the song is “Lord, Don’t Move That Mountain”. The chorus begins, “Lord, don’t move that mountain, just give me the strength for the climb.” Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not planning a trip to the Himialyas to scale Mt. Everest any time soon, but It has occurred to me that relying on the power of the Holy Spirit within me to climb and conquer a spiritul mountain just might be a greater miracle than causing it to move out of my way. One advantage of old age is there is a lot more of life to look back on. I have witnessed spiritual mountains move out of my path and I have climbed my share of them. In both cases, it is good to know who to praise for the victory. Faith and reliance on God make all things possible.
It is easy to praise God from the mountain top, but as the words of another song tell us; “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. The God of the day is still God in the night.” The Apostle Paul reminds us that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. (Romans 8:11) That is all the power we will ever need and it is always available to us no matter what situation we are in.