Asking for Mountains

Back in the beginning of Aug. there was a stretch of time where I had several people question the finances of the mission I was getting ready to embark on. More like “there is no money coming in”  and “where is going to come from”. I knew my faith was being tested once again to see if I would press in and on or throw in the towel. This wasn’t the first time I had that choice for along this journey this test has continued to come up.  I have to be honest and say I was beginning to fall into that trap of questioning, but then the Lord reminded me He had brought me to this point and to trust Him. It came down to the first entry of this blog “moment by moment obedience”.I had decided from the very beginning that I would press on. On this particular day (Aug.3) my mom placed a devotion on my bed for me to find that spoke volumes to me and encouraged me, so I thought I would share it with all of you….

Asking for Mountains   Joshua 14:12 ” Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

      “Caleb’s faith in God never wavered, though everyone around him doubted. God convinced Caleb that the children of Israel should enter the Promised Land, but the people were intimidated by giants and fortified cities (Num. 13:28-23). Their disbelief forced Caleb to wait forty years in the wilderness before he finally entered the Promised Land. Even after all those years Caleb was  as confident as ever in God’s power.

When God was dividing the land among the Israelites, the people were asking for the lush valleys and grassy plains. Caleb asked for a mountain. The Israelites had driven their enemies into the mountains, where  they had built fortresses. This did not intimidate Caleb—he asked for a challenge!! He did not trust in his own strength but in God’s presence. Caleb longed to see God work in power, and he knew he would be less likely to rely on God if he dwelt in the easy places. He chose a situation in which he would have to trust in God. Caleb knew his inheritance from God was on the mountain. He refused to allow the difficulty of gaining it to stop him from enjoying all that God had promised him.

If you always choose the easy way, asking for the peaceful valleys, you will never see God’s power displayed to enable you to take a mountain. Seek out the mountains, and you will witness God doing things through your life that can be explained only by His mighty presence.”

(I wish I could remember where this devotion came out of. It may be from Max Lucado or Chuck Swindoll or neither.)

Caleb had a different spirit within him not different in who the Spirit within was, but different in that he did not go along with the crowd or do what everyone else was doing or thinking. He believed in God’s power and His presence in His life. How many of us believe in God’s power and presence in our own lives? I trust that God will provide thru whomever He chooses and I trust that His timing is perfect, not only when it comes to finances, but in the opportunities He has prepared for me. Just like Caleb I want to have a different spirit, a spirit that asks for mountains to be able to see  God’s power and presence in my life.  What about you?