8-21-08 -Bonita Park Camp and Conference Center, NM - Today is the last day of camp and my last sermon away from home for a long time. I told myself on the first day of this camp that before the week was over I was going to climb to the summit of one of the mountains that surround this camp. Time has gotten away from me and I had a choice to make this afternoon. I sat down at this computer earlier and contemplated doing some work or meeting the challenge I had set for myself to climb to the summit of one of those mountains before leaving in the morning.
I debated back and forth with myself and finally decided that I was going to do it. I grabbed a bottle of water and walked outside to survey the best route. I chose one that looked the closest to get to and made my way across the camp and up to higher ground. The grass was thick and I must confess I worried about coming across a snake. I was climbing in some basketball shorts, sneakers, and a long sleeve t-shirt, not exactly climbing apparel.
In the beginning the going was not too bad except for one twenty foot section that was pretty steep and difficult to traverse. I finally got up it and found myself on a road that looked to be a driveway of some sorts. Up across the road seventy five yards uphill I could see a barbed wire fence that stood in my way of getting to the top. I decided to follow the barbed wire fence walking parallel to it to see if I could find a place to cross over.
My next discovery was an old cemetery that was apparently still in use as I passed a grave that was dug as recent as 2007. I made my way around the cemetery and came across some sort of creek where there was no barbed wire fence. I carefully made my way down one embankment and up the other as I made my course upward to the summit.
I found it interesting that the place I was climbing the mountain was running parallel to highway 48 which runs between Ruidoso and Capitan, New Mexico. I had to cross over a fallen tree and over all sorts of dead brush and limbs which always made me apprehensive about coming across a rattle snake. I watched the ground carefully and kept my ears open for even the faintest hint of a rattling sound. Praise the Lord I did not hear any or see any.
Upward I continued to climb until I finally found the highest peak I could see in the distance. I charted my path to the peak carefully being sure of my footing with each step. I climbed up on a rock to look out over the view below once I reached the summit. It was a very contented and satisfying feeling I felt up there. I do not know how many feet I climbed. I only know as I took in the view around me I could see several mountain peaks in the distance that were two, three, and four times higher than I was. Down below I could see the roof tops of several of the camp buildings. I felt very removed from it all and with the exception of the traffic on highway 48 behind me I was in total peace. It felt good to leave the masses and go where no one from our group had gone the entire week. They all saw the fence and stopped. They gave up too easily. Like the song says God makes a way where there seems to be no way. I was determined to get to the top no matter what it took fence or no fence.
It all reminds me of [Ps 18:33] I would like to look at it in several different translations. [NIV] He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. [NASUE]He makes my feet like hind’s feet and sets me on the high places. [Amplified Version] He makes me like hind’s feet (able to stand firmly and to make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble) He sets me securely on my high places. (The Living Bible) He gives me the surefootedness of a mountain goat upon the crags. He leads me safely along the cliffs.
Today I walked where few have ever walked. I walked where the deer roam; I actually saw some deer droppings. In my relationship with God, I know He is calling me to higher heights with Him. The air is thin up there and the way is steep. Just as I found no beaten path where others had trod before me to ease my journey but had to blaze my own trail, I know in many ways I will have to blaze my own trails I traverse the endless ranges and peaks of God. Yet, for the soul who wants climb higher in God, He enables us and gives us the strength and resolve needed to scale new heights of His glory. He gives us the surefootedness as we climb higher and higher. He allows us to stand firmly on new spiritual ground. He has made provision for our spiritual pilgrimage but many are contented to remain in the valley where the masses talk and sing of a God they seldom experience.
I loved meeting the challenge of surmounting the summit today. Yet, that does not compare to the joy and thrill of climbing higher in God and scaling new heights of revelation and communion in Him. Nothing compares to that. Standing on the high places with God is more satisfying than I have vocabulary to be able to describe. It is not something you can read about but more something you have to experience for yourself. I loved defeating the mountain today. It was challenging but doable. I love even more getting up day after day with the field gear of my Bible and prayer and taking off for the summit of God which I know I will never get to in this life or in eternity. It still does not keep me from enjoying the thrill of the climb.
I challenge you today to climb higher in God than you ever have before. Learn something new and experience something fresh with Him as He reveals Himself through His word and in your private worship today. Do not be content to dwell in the flat lands of boredom and mediocrity when God can give you feet like deer and have you go to places in Him you never have even dreamed about. God longs to be discovered, explored, searched, surveyed, and investigated. We must be willing to put forth the effort to know Him in profoundly new and life transforming ways.
When I got to the summit of the little mountain, I just stood there for several moments. I looked all around me both higher and lower. I looked lower thinking about Taylor who was taking a nap in our hotel room down below. I thought about the people at the camp doing all their different activities and about the people in the cars behind me. I looked up at the upscale mountain homes built into the jagged rocks higher on other ranges in the distance. I wondered what the view must be like from there.
In the same fashion I think about those who have climbed much higher in God than me; Jonathan Edwards, John Owens, John Calvin, Martin Luther, A.W. Tozer, Hudson Taylor, and John Piper just to mention a few. I wonder what the view of Sovereign God is like from the places they either scaled or continue to scale in God. Their writings inspire me to keep climbing higher with all my might.
I climbed the summit of a mid sized mountain and was thrilled in an afternoon. I have a lifetime of climbing before me in the Lord for my ultimate and infinite joy. See you on higher ground.
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