Catchy title, huh. It came to me earlier in the summer, and I wasn’t 100% sure what it would be. Some friends of mine and my husband invited us to go on a hiking trip to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. I thought it would be a great opportunity to see what inspiration might come for this blog, and to nab some picturesque images. At the pinnacle of the hike we took time to just be in that place. There, on the craggy bluffs, many people were out to take in the beautiful vistas. A group of young women had been making a day of it, hammocks, favorite snacks, and just sharing with each other. We discovered they were from the alma mater of one of our own group members; and, since they had been talking about questions in their relationships, I invited them to look up my book. When I told them it was faith-based, they asked how I came to be a Christian. I gave them my testimony and they thanked me for sharing. I’m not sure if God orchestrated this moment for the benefit of the young women or for me, but I know His hand was all over this meeting on a cliff.
Thinking about this mountaintop encounter reminded me of how in scripture people would go away to the mountains to be nearer to God. Moses went to Mount Sinai to be in the presence of God. (Exodus 24:15) Jesus would go to the mountains to pray. (Mark 6:46) It’s so easy, when surrounded by such splendor, to feel that He is near. If fills ones soul to have those mountaintop moments. However, we have to come down from there to live our lives in the day to day. Most of our lives are made up of less fulfilling moments. Moments like being at the kitchen sink where we don’t feel as close to God, and tears can sometimes mix with dishwater.
The same God on the mountain is God at the kitchen sink. So what’s different? The difference is what fills our senses and shapes our mind. On the mountaintop, where everything else falls away, it is so clear that He surrounds us and moves in our lives. Yet, in our daily lives, we are consumed with chores, to-do lists, and commutes. When every thing else is in our face and ringing in our ears we wonder, “Why does God feel so far from me?”
When Elijah ran to the mountains to save himself from Jezebel, he had a God encounter. “So He [God] said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD.’ And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and powerful wind was tearing out the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. and behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” NASB2020
When the voice of the LORD is found in the gentle moments, the louder things that clamor for our attention have a tendency to distract us from hearing Him. The world can be a very loud, and flashy place. One thing after another seems to bombard us to keep our minds on anything but what we should. What if we found a way to keep a mountaintop-like place near us on a regular basis; a moment parked in your car, a quiet room of your home, or possibly just a corner of your mind. Some place you can go where the senses can be pushed back and we can just rest in the assurance of Him. I encourage you to go to your mountaintop encounter, even if it is at the kitchen sink.
“Come close to God and He will come close to you.” James 4:8
Author Dellaca Ferraiz Reynolds 