What Mountain?

Have you ever found yourself facing a mountain in life? A mountain of trail so vast—discouragement immediately sets in?

But what if your mountains could simply melt like wax?

Metaphorically speaking Psalm 97:5 says just that!

“The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.”

In order for the mountains we face to melt, we have to realize what exactly the mountains are. Take a look at the following scripture in Mark 11:20-23.

“In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!’ ‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”

Essentially Jesus is saying, if we do not doubt—but believe His Word with our whole heart—mountains, the minute they present themselves can be tossed into the sea—just like that! And we can confidently live our life saying “What Mountain?”

Question, why would Jesus answer Peter’s remark about the fig tree “Have faith in God?” Jesus is always teaching us something bigger than what our eyes see. He must have known Peter’s (and our) biggest struggle was faith in God—alone.

Our faith has to be about Him alone, therefore; “Have faith in God.” Faith is not about our works or the methods we use to get God to move on our behalf. It’s about simple truth in the only One who never lies.

The mountains are not the things that we face at all.

A troubled marriage, finances, rebellious children, depression, addictions, impossible circumstances, grief, illness—depending on our faith—these feel as enormous as Mt. Everest.

But in all reality the mountain we face is unbelief.

Everything in life that would present itself as a mountain originates from unbelief. Therefore, if we have true faith in God, there would not be mountains to face, because true faith in God believes He is bigger than any problem or trial that tries to rise against us. True faith in God does not worry or fret wondering if God will perform—true faith in God knows God can and will come through. True faith in God rests in thy will be done and does not try to manipulate Him to do what we want Him to do. Accordingly, if we have true faith in God everything that appears as a mountain melts like wax before the Lord our God.

You’ve got to love this!

The mountains we face are not objects of opposition at all. The mountain is what’s in us—it is what we believe or do not believe about God.

Our Christian mindset is not exactly faith in God. It is faith in God and me. When our faith is divided between God and self, or God and methods, faith becomes diluted, therefore making faith weak, becoming unbelief and is rendered ineffective.

The mountain of unbelief that resides in people is the most difficult to move. Why? Because the battle is no longer God and me against adversity—but our soul against our spirit, (Gal. 5:16-18) “Me” against God. It’s easy to look at the attack of the devil against us, but when the battle lays within, it is a different story because to win, self must decrease.

In regard to overcoming unbelief—follow the methods mentioned in my last blog: Fully Convinced (click to read).

Most importantly what we must recognize about mountain moving faith is that it’s about relationship with God the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. We must live a Christ centered life where Jesus is enough. Remembering God is not a genie. In this setting—as we spend time with Him, our faith increases and the mountains melt like wax before the Lord our God.

Please be encouraged to make your new saying “What mountain?”

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Skillful Living 101—12 Get WIsdom!

Have you ever tried to wake a sleeping teenager up? If your life is anything like mine…you give the first call…then the second…by the fifth, your voice is raised. Finally, our darling teen raises their sleepy head and says, “Why are you yelling at me, you’ve only asked me to get up once?”

In thinking and praying about Proverbs 12, wisdom—once again is the main theme. It’s not exactly stated over and over as in some of the Proverbs, but it is highly implied. And in reading this Proverb you just know, if only one had wisdom all the truths written here could so easily be applied to life. Essentially this is true of all the Proverbs.

It reminds me of waking my sleepy, almost comatose teenagers. In Proverbs we are urged, warned, advised, counseled, directed and yes bluntly told to get wisdom, to secure understanding, to desire righteousness; basically we are told to “Wake up!!”

You know that feeling when you look someone in the eye and give them detailed instructions? They’re nodding yes they understand, yet you know it’s just not sinking in? I’m getting the inclination that this is how the book of Proverbs is—God’s alive and active Word is reiterating what we should do. We nod in agreement, then walk away and say “Now what was that again?”

What’s interesting about obtaining wisdom, is that the moments of forgetting what God’s Word says will lessen and the ability to obey will increase with the more wisdom we attain.  

Thankfully God is very long-suffering and offers periods of grace to us, but I do believe we need to wake up and acquire wisdom.

For the most part wisdom is free; however it is costly in the sense that, as we apprehend it, we can no longer walk in our former foolishness. And to some that’s the deal breaker.

I want to encourage you to desire a crown of wisdom. A crown brings honor to the one who wears it. It encircles the head reminding us of its presence. It also surrounds our mind with protection. We should think of a crown of wisdom as we would a wall of protection surrounding a city; it will protect us from invaders, as well as our own harmful decisions and from speaking foolish words we may regret.

The beauty of wearing a crown of wisdom is that it will give us the ability to follow God’s ways.

Following are a few ways from Proverbs 12, that a crown of wisdom will benefit its recipient.

• Verse 1—“Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Wisdom will assist us in loving instruction and knowledge and will help us heed correction—wisdom will help you us not to be stupid.
• Verse 4—“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.” Wisdom will help wives to be a delicately beautiful addition to her husband. Instead of a burdensome weight a wife can be of value. Her husband will benefit from her wisdom and both will prosper.
• Verse 11—“He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.” Wisdom will aid us in being productive and help us stay on task; it can keep us free from the trap of laziness.
• Verse 17 and 22—“He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit.” “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Wisdom will cause us to be the Lords delight and sustain us in righteousness, helping us speak truth, it can deliver us from being a gossip, a liar, a deceiver and from being deceived.
• Verse 25—“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Wisdom can keep us from anxiety that causes depression, it will keep you in the truth of God’s good word.
• Verse 28— “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.” Most importantly a crown of wisdom will keep us in intimate relationship with the Lord, helping us to live eternally minded.

Wearing a crown of wisdom is a huge responsibility, but well worth the obligation. The only time a crown of wisdom can tarnish is when we take the glory of being wise unto ourselves. We must remember every good and perfect gift comes from God…especially a crown of wisdom.

Please be encouraged to seek God for your crown of wisdom, I trust that you will wear it well.

Skillful Living Tools:

• Wake up and acquire a crown of wisdom—ask God for it
• Love instruction, knowledge and correction
• Wives: get wisdom—be an excellent wife
• Speak truth, declare righteousness
• Avoid depression by staying in God’s Word—speak the truth to and over your mind
• Live eternally minded

Please share with those who need to live skillfully!

Check out the Skillful Living Tool Box (updated weekly) at the top of this page!