Climbing Higher

Climbing a mountain is no easy fete. It is not for the weak of heart of the ill prepared. Climbing a mountain is all uphill. It is fraught with obstacles and adverse conditions. The unexpected is around every corner. More people stop and turn around than those who ever reach the summit.

Life is not so easy either. Life, like climbing a mountain, is not for the weak of heart of the ill prepared. There are obstacles and adverse conditions. There are unexpected events and circumstances every day. There are times when you simply must sit down; take a rest; and call out for help. Its o.k. if you take a breather or turn back. That's called being wise on a mountain. No sense taking unnecessary risks. There is no shame in knowing your limitations. Stay roped together. Climb with those who are wise and prudent. Be prepared to catch those who stumble or fall.

Abraham had to climb a mountain. I am speaking Abraham the father of many nations and fellow patriarch with Isaac and Jacob. In old age God blessed Abraham and his wife, Sarah, with a son, Isaac. Then, when Isaac is entering manhood, God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac to the top of a mountain and sacrifice him there. There's a thankless climb.

But Abraham trusted God. Today, leadership is based upon the vision of the one leading. Leadership is knowing what you are doing and where you are going. But Abraham didn't know what he was doing. He may not even have known where he was going. But Abraham trusted God. No complaint about the task ahead or the climb at hand. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Better than knowing what you are doing or where you are going is trusting that God does.

On the way up the mountain Isaac asks the obvious: Father, the fire and the knife are here; but where is the lamb for sacrifice? Ah, sweet innocence. It is always easier to sacrifice someone else's lamb, isn't it? But when it is your own lamb, or your own pride, or your own way, or your own direction, then sacrifice gets difficult. God will provide, Abraham replied. Somehow, someway, God will provide.

When Abraham and Isaac got to the top God said, "Abraham, do not harm the boy." When Abraham looked up he saw a ram stuck in a thicket and available for sacrifice. God had provided. There's a view from the summit: God is in control. God provides. Always.

You are not alone on the mountain. Jesus, the Lamb of God, climbed Calvary for you and me and with each of us, our needs, and our hurts heaped upon His back. Plenty of obstacle. Plenty of adversity. He could have turned back. But He didn't. There on the top of the mountain God sacrificed His only Son, His pride, His Joy and His delight for all. In that perfect moment God reconciled the world to Himself. If you stumble or fall, Jesus is there to pick you up.

Here is a mountain man challenge: Trust God. Give Him the lead. Let Him take hold of you. And when climbing with others, give them lots of slack. We're not here to point out when people stumble and fall. We're are here to help them to their feet. Be positive. Be hopeful. Be an encourager. Climbing mountains is hard wor. So is life. Help each other to the top.

I love you. Jeff