Have you ever taken a drive through the mountains and pulled off the road to enjoy a scenic view, such as the one pictured above? As far as the eye can see there are lofty peaks and deep valleys. Various shades of green, blue, and purple create a lush palette of colors. You take a deep breath and inhale the clean mountain air. You feel closer to God the Creator on the mountaintop. Why is that? Could it be that you realize the majesty of creation and are awestruck? Is it the stillness and quiet that makes you feel like you can almost touch heaven? Or can it be that you can see clearly what is ahead of you and down below that makes you realize that there is order to the chaos of our world?
This is a picture of the Great Smoky Mountains. Nestled in the Smokies, just on the edge of the National Park, is Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg is a very popular tourist destination. It has one main street that goes through the center of town. Cars are bumper-to-bumper as they make their way down the busy street. Pedestrians fill the sidewalks on either side of the street, flocking to souvenir and gift shops, restaurants and attractions. There's no off season, it's busy all of the time.
I've been to the top of the Smoky Mountains many times, and I've been to Gatlinburg just as often. Once I make my way down the mountain to Gatlinburg, I am easily distracted by all the sights, smells, and sounds of the village. My mind is no longer focused on creation or the Creator, but rather on the things that bring temporary pleasure.
This past weekend, we had our annual Ladies Retreat in The Smokies. We had a mountaintop experience as our speaker led us through scripture, teaching us to let go of the things that hold us back from being all that God wants for us to be. These weights that we carry around rob us of experiencing the fullness of God's plan for our lives. We get so easily distracted with things of the world. We get absorbed in the busyness of life, that we forget that the most important thing is to lift up our eyes, from whence cometh our help.
Psalm 121 is one of my favorite Psalms. It is a beautiful reminder of where our strength to face the world comes from. "I will lift up my eyes to the hill. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." It goes further to promise us that "He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forever more."
God talked face-to-face with Moses on a mountaintop. He often speaks to us on the mountaintops. When we are walking through the valley called life, we have to stop on occasion to remember the view from the top. We have to trust God to handle the problems that we face in the valleys. We have to let go of whatever holds us back. We have to learn to trust Him.
I am reminded of a song my mother used to sing around the house:
Let go and let God have His wonderful way
Let go and let God have His way.
Your troubles will vanish, your night turn to day.
Let go and let God have His way.
I don't know that our troubles will vanish, but I do know that we can trust God with them. I do know that His way IS wonderful, and that when we let go and give it all to Him that the difference is like night and day.
What is holding you back from serving the Lord wholeheartedly? Let go of it today and let God have His way in your life.
Serving Him with You,
Pam Archer
