Mark Sorensen An important part of my daily devotion is not just time spent in the Word, but it also involves reading other devotionals which I love to return to from time to time. One of my all time favorites is Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest. I picked it up recently to rediscover a devotional where, coincidentally, I had highlighted almost every word. In light of last Sunday’s message on Elijah from 1 Kings 19, it seems appropriate to share this one with you now:
We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and save those struggling in the valley. We are not made for the mountaintop alone. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.
God meets us on the mountaintop moments in our lives, but we mustn’t forget this important truth: we were also made for the valleys.
My wife and I will be making a trip soon to take some vacation days to visit the mountains of Colorado. It’s one of my favorite places to go. There’s something so perfect and beautiful to stand on top of those mountains and see the world from a different vantage point. Truth be told, that’s exactly where the Lord led Elijah in last Sunday’s Word from 1 Kings 19. God met him on the mountain. Yet, remember what God said to Elijah after He nourished him, showed him His power and called him out of the cave? Three words. “Now go back.” He was needed in the valley.
God was teaching Elijah an important truth: it was in the valley that God needed Elijah to keep on keeping on.
So may you know today that the Lord calls you to mountaintop moments. These are important moments where He wants to show you His grace, mercy and power. Yet, we must also remember that we mustn’t stay there. God also needs us serving in the valley where we can extend that same grace, mercy and compassion to others who are in need.
