I live in Colorado. For the most part, I grew up in Arizona...from 1978 until I headed off to college. I have spent time in Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming. I've spent a bit of time in Mexico, Venezuela, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Japan. One thing all of these places have in common is mountains.
Every time Em and I are in the car on the way to school or headed out on errands where our view of the Rocky Mountains is, for the most part, in plain view as far as we can see north and south, I say, "Em, look at those beautiful mountains God made! Can you imagine just deciding to make those one day!?"
We sing about mountains in church...how our Savior, He can move the mountains...how He is mighty to save. We read about faith in God's word...how opposite world, that is God's world, states if we have teenie tiny, itty bitty faith we can move gargantuan things.
Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.
1 Corinthians 13:2 "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
The truth is, I see big mountains every single day. I am a very literal person. It actually makes my husband crazy! But, I have really big faith and there is no freaking way that it could move the entire Rocky Mountain range. I mean, seriously! I've seen Eiger peak and if I were to say, "Move it, Mister!" It would just look at me funny.
Mountains are big. Hills don't count. Mole hills don't either. I'm not talking bluffs here, folks. If my oxygen levels aren't challenged by it, it doesn't count as a freaking mountain. Mountains stand out. They reach. They speak volumes yet do not utter a word. And God made them...the physical ones, that is.
The mountains that Jesus refers to, however, are absolutely and totally movable...He told us the truth. God is not a man that He should lie. The truth is this: no matter what in our lives we may have faced, are facing, or will face one day, nothing, zip, zilch, nada, nothing is impossible with God. Does it mean it will all end up looking like we think it should look? Abso-freaking-lutely not.
Sometimes life is a picture of many of our choices mixed in with us actually following God's direction here and there. Other times it resembles a recipe of some of God's basic ingredients mixed with surprising ones. It's possible that God is the Iron Chef and He's in there with our lives throwing in a little of this and a little of that because even though it doesn't make sense to the non-chefs in the audience, He knows it's a winning recipe, unique and aromatic. I'm not really sure...I wasn't interviewed OR HIRED for the position of All Knowing Creator of the Universe, so I really don't know EXACTLY how God works...but I do know this...
God is bigger than the mountains. He made them. He's just that creative. And, He's also bigger than our mountains. He's big. I mean HUGE. LARGE. GIGANTIC. And, at the same time, He fits perfectly inside our hearts if we allow Him to dwell there.
Imagine...the very God who created the magnificent mountains around this green earth is the very One who desires to stand with us and show us that through Him and by His strength we can say to our mountains, "Back off, mountain! My God is bigger than you! Have you seen how big my God is!?"
I love mountains. I mean, I really, really LOVE mountains!
I do not take mountains for granted.
I do not take mountains for granted.
Every time Em and I are in the car on the way to school or headed out on errands where our view of the Rocky Mountains is, for the most part, in plain view as far as we can see north and south, I say, "Em, look at those beautiful mountains God made! Can you imagine just deciding to make those one day!?"
I don't ever want to be used to the mountains.
Not only because they are magnificent and humongous and go on and on for miles and stand miles above sea level and hide hidden treasures and stories of the past...but because the moment I lose my awe of them, I'll lose my awe of Him.
We sing about mountains in church...how our Savior, He can move the mountains...how He is mighty to save. We read about faith in God's word...how opposite world, that is God's world, states if we have teenie tiny, itty bitty faith we can move gargantuan things.
Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.
1 Corinthians 13:2 "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
The truth is, I see big mountains every single day. I am a very literal person. It actually makes my husband crazy! But, I have really big faith and there is no freaking way that it could move the entire Rocky Mountain range. I mean, seriously! I've seen Eiger peak and if I were to say, "Move it, Mister!" It would just look at me funny.
Mountains are big. Hills don't count. Mole hills don't either. I'm not talking bluffs here, folks. If my oxygen levels aren't challenged by it, it doesn't count as a freaking mountain. Mountains stand out. They reach. They speak volumes yet do not utter a word. And God made them...the physical ones, that is.
The mountains that Jesus refers to, however, are absolutely and totally movable...He told us the truth. God is not a man that He should lie. The truth is this: no matter what in our lives we may have faced, are facing, or will face one day, nothing, zip, zilch, nada, nothing is impossible with God. Does it mean it will all end up looking like we think it should look? Abso-freaking-lutely not.
Sometimes life is a picture of many of our choices mixed in with us actually following God's direction here and there. Other times it resembles a recipe of some of God's basic ingredients mixed with surprising ones. It's possible that God is the Iron Chef and He's in there with our lives throwing in a little of this and a little of that because even though it doesn't make sense to the non-chefs in the audience, He knows it's a winning recipe, unique and aromatic. I'm not really sure...I wasn't interviewed OR HIRED for the position of All Knowing Creator of the Universe, so I really don't know EXACTLY how God works...but I do know this...
God is bigger than the mountains. He made them. He's just that creative. And, He's also bigger than our mountains. He's big. I mean HUGE. LARGE. GIGANTIC. And, at the same time, He fits perfectly inside our hearts if we allow Him to dwell there.
Imagine...the very God who created the magnificent mountains around this green earth is the very One who desires to stand with us and show us that through Him and by His strength we can say to our mountains, "Back off, mountain! My God is bigger than you! Have you seen how big my God is!?"
For some reason I woke up at the ridiculous hour of 4:30am this morning. I decided maybe God wanted to tell me something so I spent some time walking around my house praying and asking Him what it was. Then I sat down at my computer and read this.
ReplyDeleteI needed the reminder. He IS big and He IS faithful and I am tiny. And guess what else He told me through your beautiful post? I'm easy for Him to take care of. He said, "I can carve those mountains with my pinky. I've got you covered, babe." Yes. The Creator of the Universe called me 'babe' this morning. All through your post.
Thank you.
Thanks for the reminder and the visual this morning. My husband's unemployment is about to run out and I'm scared. If God can move mountains I have no doubt that He will provide.
ReplyDeleteAMEN!!! He is a REALLY BIG GOD!!!
ReplyDeleteI love this.. I grew up in the shadow of the Rockies (Calgary, AB, and Colorado!) and now live in a place where the local "Mt. -" is a HILL. And yes, GOD can move those ROCKY MTNS HE created.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! LOVE it!
you forgot about Minnesota Ade!!!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Johanna
Amen!
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog. God IS big. God is big and God is good. And.......God does good, all the time. Even in the face of great sorrow and incomprehensible grief, God is good.
ReplyDelete