Mountains and Valleys

"There shall be abundance of grain in the soil upon the mountains [the least fruitful places in the land]; the fruit of it shall wave like [the forests of] Lebanon, and [the inhabitants of] the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth."  Psalm 72:16

I think Switzerland is the most beautiful place on this earth.  The Alps are the most majestic thing I have seen anywhere on this great planet.  I was born for the mountains, I have always loved the mountains.  The mountains don't change.  Whatever is going on around me, for good or bad, the mountains are there.  They don't move, they are (to me) the greatest picture of "absolute" in our human experience.

And yet, as I've spent time learning and observing mountains I realize one thing.  While I LOVE to stand at the summit, and I actually don't mind the challenges of the climb, and the view is astoundingly breathtaking.....but there is nothing growing.  A climber knows they are nearing the summit when they stop seeing trees, because it is when we step above the treeline that vegetation cannot survive.

I pray, according to Psalm 72:16, God will put supernatural soil above our tree line, for we are there.  We are experiencing an incredible view of all that He has done through Ignite International since 2003.  But as we near the summit, it is not only the most challenging part of the climb, but it also is a seemingly fruitless place.  As the Psalmist reminds us, it is the least fruitful place in the land.

Our  human nature desires the "mountaintop" experiences and we think the valleys are the place of challenge that we must walk through to in our quest to get back to the top.  I'm starting to think the reverse is true.  The most fertile ground is actually in the valley.  So when we are standing on those mountaintops, we can actually see the valleys before us, and we should embrace what awaits, because the fruit and the fruitfulness is in the valley!

We will keep climbing, then we will enjoy the view....then we will go till the fertile ground. I still love the mountains.....more than anything else......but the air is thin, and some fresh fruit sure will be refreshing.  

At whichever place you find yourself, press on, Friends!