“Honey, quick! I can’t believe this!” Terry, my astonished husband, called out.
Even though I was in the middle of unpacking from our recent move, I wanted to see why Terry was so surprised. I raced from the bedroom to the living room and stopped in my tracks. “No way!” was my response.
There, atop our 10-foot tall armoire—looking down at us, big as you please—was Big Sam, our 20-pound, grey tabby cat. After several years of attempting and failing to jump from the floor to the top of the formidable armoire, Big Sam had finally made it to the top of his mountain.
Now this was no small feat for Big Sam, whose double-wide body and unusually short, stubby legs had made it downright impossible for him to ever scale anything, much less the tall armoire.
But how did such a big old guy with too-short legs manage a 10-foot jump? Then it hit me, AHA! Mystery solved! In plain view was our 2-foot lamp table that led to the 4-foot sofa table, which in turn, led to a brand-new 8-foot cat tree.
The secret was in the steps! The new arrangement of furniture now made it possible for Big Sam to go where no double-wide cat with stubby legs had gone before—not in spite of the steps but because of them!
Big Sam’s secret to conquering his mountain gave me a fresh revelation from the Spirit of the Lord about those impossible mountains we face. How many times had I looked at that mountain that loomed before me—whether it was a dreaded or insurmountable daily task, or God’s calling me to ministry—and had shrugged my shoulders in defeat because I couldn’t take it in one fell swoop? Or how many times had the steps for me to take to conquer my mountain actually been there, laid out by God, but instead of seeing the steps, all I had seen was the formidable mountain before me!
Have you ever faced mountains and felt overwhelmed, psyched out or defeated by their size, whether negative or positive?
Perhaps you are facing some today. If so, I challenge you to join me in not just facing your mountains. Believe the faithfulness of the One who has called you to conquer them, whether it be to stand firm knowing that the negative ones are no more, or that the positive ones—involving His great call on your life—will be reached and conquered!
Jesus has promised us such victory over mountains: “For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt. 17:20). And He has promised us the actual steps to take to conquer anything, mountains, I am sure, included: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Ps. 37:23).
You have heard those popular words “to make a mountain out of a molehill.” Perhaps it is more comforting to know that there is a word directly from God that promises us that we can turn a mountain into a molehill—and see before our very eyes the impossible made possible!
PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 6/03/2013
This week thank God that He is still on the throne and in control, and that there is no mountain—no piece of negative news too negative, no call of God too massive—that God cannot help you to conquer! Continue to pray for God to pour out His Spirit over the nation, revive His church, call the lost to Himself, and fill government posts with those with a heart to serve Him and govern in righteousness. Remember the persecuted church, Israel and the Middle East, as well as those in our nation affected by the recent tornadoes, floods and wildfires. Thank God for uncovering terrorist plots against the nation and for His continued protection on our borders, ports, cities, food, water and energy sources. Matt. 17:20; Ps.37:23; I Thes. 5:17