Give Me This Mountain!

God can part seas, rain fire from the sky, bring dead bones back to life, make the sun stand still, cause a king to go insane for seven years. A list of all that God has done and can do is so vast, so infinite, that all the databanks in the world could be used to store such a list and yet there wouldn't be enough capacity available to hold them all. So, when we find ourselves needing God's help, needing the Almighty to intervene, we can rest assured that His promise to never leave us or forsake is true as the list of examples of Him doing so is endless! He can do all things above and beyond what our minds can comprehend. I mean; to part the sea so Moses and the children of Israel can escape Egypt? Is that really possible? To rain fire from heaven to prove to a hard-hearted Egyptian ruler that God means business, can that really happen? And wait! How on earth can dead bones come back to life, or the sun stay still for hours at a time? Not to mention, how does a strong and mighty ruler, king, go insane and become like a wild animal for seven years? This all seems like stuff movies are made of, right? And some of them have been and should be designated as based on actual events!

All throughout history, the Bible has been proven to show the power of God to overcome really happens. Sometimes He intervenes on our behalf. Other times, God promises us victory, but expects us to take action. One such occasion in history happened when the children of Israel were in Kadesh Barnea and their promised land was in sight. You can read in Numbers chapter thirteen that spies were sent to check out the promised land and report back to Moses. When the spies returned, all but one gave a bad report that the land was unconquerable. Too many strong people with fortified cities. When the children of Israel heard this, they cried, desiring to go back to Egypt. They left their faith in God in favor of succumbing to their fear. God had promised this land to Israel, but they were too afraid to take it, even though God had done so many miracles for them over many years.

There was one spy however, who remained strong in his faith in God's promise. Caleb was the only spy to give a good report, knowing that God had promised to give the land to them. He was not afraid of what he saw and was ready to move in and take it! You can read all about this is Numbers chapter thirteen and fourteen. He knew there was no army too strong for God to overcome. He knew that when God makes a promise, He comes through every time. In the book of Joshua, chapter fourteen, at the time that the land was being divided among the tribes of Israel, Joshua tells Caleb that he will inherit Hebron. Rather than cower and fear the land, Caleb rises to the challenge.

"Then the Children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: 'You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.' And now behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.' And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance."

There is a lot that can be unpacked in this scripture, but the one thing I want you to take away in this article is that we all have mountains in our lives. Mountains being a metaphor for the challenges we face. And sometimes God will move them for us. Yet when he doesn't, it is God telling us to take the mountain and I will be with you! The Bible says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". We can complain, cry, and fear our challenges like the children of Israel did, or, we can wholly follow the Lord our God and trust in him to give us the strength to take on the challenges we face. We are never alone in our life journey as long as we have God on our side. That all starts when we first accept Christ as our personal savior. The popular saying that "if God be for us, who can stand against us" is true! We trust in God and find peace when overcoming challenges because we have God on our side.

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Isaiah 41:10 "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."

Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

What more needs to be said, right? Let the Word of God speak to you, trust it and hide it in your heart. So, when you are in a season of your life where the challenges just seem too much to overcome, know that God is there with you, His Word is his promise to you. Call out to him in prayer, trust in him wholly and you will find peace in your times of trouble, and the strength to overcome! So never be afraid to take the mountain, face your challenge, when God doesn't move it for you. It just means He is there with you and will see you through your challenge.