Sitting on the Precipice-

 

Exodus 24:1, 2

24 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the leaders of Israel and worship from far away. 2 But Moses alone may come near the Lord. The others should not come near and should not come up with him.”

 

As a child I loved to play King of the Mountain. The best times to do so was when my dad ended up getting a fresh truck load of dirt dropped off, the aftermath of a snow storm or a house under construction. Having many brothers though finds itself to be problematic. Not only do you find yourself to fall off the mount but also maybe the ground shifts under you or you find yourself sinking.

Trying to get to the precipice of a hill can be scary. Maybe it can be a lot of hard work. As a result many decide not to climb the mountain because of their fear or as a result that it may cost you something.

Years ago I drove out to Colorado for the wedding of one of my brothers with my wife and new daughter. We decided to rent a vehicle for a little more comfort. We decided to drive up to Pike’s Peak as an extracurricular activity.

Pike’s Peak protrudes more than two miles above sea level and is more majestic than one’s imagination. What I did not realize about Pike’s Peak though until I started journeying up was how terrifying the drive can be. The trip does not seem all too bad at the start, but do not be deceived. With a van load of members of my family I realized that their lives were in my hands. As I journeyed further I then realized that the road became narrower and in addition guard rails were obsolete. I was a little more curious about this and stressed as I realized that any slight miscalculation could cause me and six other people their lives.

Further up the mountain I understood why there are no guard rails up the mountain. Seeing that as you get about two thirds the distance up (maybe less dependent upon the time of year) you can find yourself in a snow storm in short order and the snow is measured in feet not inches. As a result it is too difficult for a snow plow to navigate with the requirement of guardrails as snow removal may require a little more latitude.

As I was driving up I saw all of the beauty below me and all of the terror ahead of me. The question struck me, “Do I proceed on not knowing the future and what may lie ahead or do I allow my fear to overcome me, turn around and always wonder what it would be like on the top of the mountain? Did I miss out on something God had to show me?”

In Exodus God calls Moses up twice to Mount Sinai. The first time He did, the people of Israel were not allowed to even go near the mountain as they would surely die. The second time was when God invited Moses and a team to meet with Him but asked Moses to come further on his own for that intimate time with God.

I could only imagine what I would have thought if I were there. What is going on? What is God teaching or showing Moses? Can I too have that intimate time with Him as well?

God desires to have that time with us. He desires for us to make it to the top of the mountain and sit and eat with Him so he can share with us things that would blow our mind (Isaiah 64). We decide if we are going up that mountain, if the journey is worth it and what distractions may make us turn back.

What is holding you back or distracting you? Is it the cell phone and text messages that never seem to end? Maybe it is the social media site that becomes a distraction with someone’s new post, comment or picture. Maybe it is just the busyness of life with the activities of the kids or the work that never seems to get done or the house that seems upside down if I don’t get to it now.

God is calling each one of us. He wants us to sit at the precipice and see some things that will blow our mind! Are you ready to see the King of the Mountain?

 

 

CAL

10/15/13

 

Plans-

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Plans are a very important part of life. Without a plan or course of action the costs could be much more than expected and may take you off course in the direction you plan to go.

Planning is necessary in business, life and simply just the daily decisions we make. As I say frequently “If you fail to plan you have just planned to fail.” But what happens in those times that God asks you to move in a direction without plans, without a course of action or even without the guarantee that things will work out? I guess I can say I know this all too well.

Here it is as a 23 year old adult thinking I have it all together and finding the woman I felt God meant for me. At of 25 I found myself blessed with the start of a family and not just my first child but my only daughter to be first when the odds where against me in a dominant family of males. God blessed me with a great job and what looked as a great life. The plans were great.

After I have my fourth child I felt what could be better? I have a great marriage, good job and great children and looking to watch God’s goodness continue. Then the plans changed! Just nine years ago I know that God called me and my family to Central Florida from the comforts of the north, family and all other things I was used to, but why? I still ask that same question today. Was I moving in faith or foolishness? In just nine years I lost everything; job, home, income, marriage, family and so on.

As I went up north to celebrate my parent’s 50^th Anniversary I was plagued with the thought “Does God have a plan for me? Have I not heard His voice? Will my children make the mark God has for them?” As I was pondering all of this it weighed heavy on me that not only would I be blessed with a marriage that can reach 50 years. In fact none of my plans, no matter how good they look on paper may ever come true. What’s more I am guaranteed the plans for a hope and a future, but not necessarily a guarantee that it may ever happen in my life time. What a sobering reality!

After wrestling with the reality of life I had to come full circle with the past and the direction of the present and the future. We put a false hope in OUR plans as we cannot control the outcome of anything. We can only have a desire of direction, a drive, a desire for the best.

It is only God who can make our plans a reality. This is why Jeremiah says “You will find God when you seek Him with all your heart.” Better explained, “Once you have made a plan for your life, submit it to God as you WILL find the best direction He has for your life.”

You cannot plant a straight line when you are looking backwards. Nor can you avoid obstacles if you are always looking down. So keep moving forward. Keep looking up. Keep seeking the Father’s approval to your plans. When you do you will find those promises God has in store both now and for generations to come.

CAL

10/07/13