I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber Psalm 121:1-3 (NIV)
There are many times in this life that we see looming before us mountains that seem impossible to cross. They rise before us, frightening and dark. They come in the form of financial distress, illness, conflicts, and emotional crisis of the heart. At times when we look at the mountains before us we see crevices, caves filled with darkness. We fear the evil that may lurk deep within those crevices or the enemies that might lie within, hidden. Sometimes we look around us, perhaps in hope that we might find someone we can trust to guide us along this journey over the mountain ahead. We may hope that we find it in government. We want to be protected, cared for, and loved. We meet with corruption, lies, and self-centered evil hearts only looking out for themselves.
Often in my life I have faced mountains that I thought impossible to cross. As I battled cancer, chronic illness, financial loss, loneliness, shattering heartbreak, and near despair; I would think I could not take one more step. Certainly, I could not make the climb to the top of that mountain which lay before me. Still as I would look up; I would find that God was my strength. Steadily, one footstep at a time; He lead me forward. Taking my hand, He would firmly hold me from slipping into the precipice below.
You, see; what I found was that the creator of all those mountains, valleys, and river streams loved me with an everlasting love. He never let go! He never left my side! Every mountain that lay before me I have crossed with God at my side. It was through the struggles and the climb that I came to know the beauty of His Grace and the power of His might.
Within the Word of God (our Bible), God has given us His promises. He has given us a glimpse of His Majesty, Beauty, and Love. He has also given us instructions on how to overcome every hardship we might face. That is why we must not neglect the reading of His Word, nor the time alone in prayer with God.
When the mountain ahead seems the most difficult, we can turn to scripture to hold tight to all the promises of God’s protection and guidance there.
You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10 (NKJV)
Sometimes when the mountain is particularly looming, we need to turn to fasting prayer.
So Jesus said to them, “…assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:20-21 (NKJV)
I realize that many of my readers around the world are facing mountains that appear impossible. Some are facing persecution or even the fear of death for their faith. My heart bleeds for you and I pray for you each day.
Over the past few months, my heart has been extremely heavy for the United States as we head into this election. We are a nation bleeding from all the corruption, lies, and so many people falling into despairing poverty. For that reason, I believe it is time to fast and pray for our election. As I have read the platforms of the candidates and considered all that has happened over the past year, I do vow to vote for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. I do agree with the contract they have made with we the people. I will be praying for our nation, for revival. I trust God’s Plan, whatever, the outcome. Yet, I must know that I have given my all. For that reason, I chose to spend this week in prayer and fasting for our people, for Mr. Trump and for Mike Pence.
[tweetthis]God, remove any selfish thought, cleanse my heart & fill me with your light[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”Let, your light shine into our darkness, O Lord and be a beacon of truth today.” username=”effiedarlene”]
Photo used by permission: https://unsplash.com/@dankapeter
New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.