The God of the Mountain

When life appears to be going smoothly, we tend to be happy and relaxed and at peace.  In fact, we love our mountain top experiences.  Yet life also has many difficult or valley experiences.  Our lives are often troubled by deep trials.  It is less easy to be at peace during such times and experiences in our lives.  Yet it is good to remember that the God of the mountain type experiences is still with us and is still God during our difficult valley like experiences.  God is with us directing our paths in both the pleasant times and in the deeply difficult moments.  He is the same God who is leading, directing, comforting, and loving us in both type situations.  We need to rest in Him in all situations.  He never stops being our God no matter where we find ourselves in life.  Below is the lyrics to the wonderful song, "God of the Mountain." followed by a link to the song on YouTube.  May the words of the song bless you today, dear Christian.    

Lyrics

Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain
And you've got peace of mind, like you've never known
But things change when you're down in the valley

Don't lose faith, for you're never alone

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, He'll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day is still God in the night

You talk of faith when you're up on the mountain
But talk comes so easy when life's at it's best
Now it's down in the valleys, of trials and temptations
That's where your faith, is really put to the test

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, He'll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night
The God of the day, is still God in the night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTl4tUYIAg

Truth Be Told

I think  we often like to present an illusion to the people around us that we always have it all together in our lives, that we are never troubled or sad about anything.  We sometimes also think that other people's lives are relatively free of troubles and heartaches.  This, of course is not true.  We all face trials of various kinds and degrees in our lives.  The Lord is the only One who fully understands our heartaches in their depths.   Yet to the degree that I have shared my heartaches with others as well as the Lord, I have felt uplifted and helped.  To the degree that I have felt deeply moved to pray for someone else, I have also felt helped and uplifted.  If truth be told, we need to share our burdens on a much larger scale than we do.  I recently ran across a song that talks about that very thing.  The song is titled. "Truth be Told."  Following is a link to that song on You Tube and then also the written lyrics for the song.  It certainly is food for thought:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs-PcD79XVY

Lie number one you're supposed to have it all together

And when they ask how you're doing
Just smile and tell them, "Never better"

Lie number 2 everybody's life is perfect except yours
So keep your messes and your wounds
And your secrets safe with you behind closed doors

Truth be told
The truth is rarely told, now

I say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine but I'm not
I'm broken
And when it's out of control I say it's under control but it's not
And you know it
I don't know why it's so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There's no failure, no fall
There's no sin you don't already know
So let the truth be told

There's a sign on the door, says, "Come as you are" but I doubt it
'Cause if we lived like it was true, every Sunday morning pew would be crowded
But didn't you say the church should look more like a hospital
A safe place for the sick, the sinner and the scarred and the prodigals

Changes

Changes, even good changes, are challenging. I remember the change of marrying my first husband, Wayne, in 1971. It was a good change, but it involved working together instead of just thinking of our own selfish needs and wants. I remember the changes of children coming into our lives and later them starting kindergarten and still later going off to college. I further remember grandchildren entering our lives. Many of these changes were wonderful.

Wayne and I experienced the challenges of unemployment at a few different times in our lives. Those were difficult changes and challenges, but through it all we found the Lord to be faithful. Later there was the devastating challenge of Wayne's diagnosis. Each change and step downward in his physical functioning was difficult. Finally losing Wayne to death and then becoming a widow was also a life-changing event. Yet through those difficult years Jesus Christ became very precious to me. My relationship with Him and my reliance on the promises of His Word became more and more wonderful to me. That was a good change. So even in the difficult changes of life, God can bring wonderful changes in us as well.

After eight and a half years of widowhood I remarried in 2019.  My new husband's name is Bob.  This initially was a wonderful change in my life, but it too involved adaptations. It involved laying down my life for my husband and not just thinking about myself. It involved finding a new normal in a new house. It involved putting my former house on the market and a busier life style. And now I am experiencing the challenge of Bob, my second husband, being afflicted with dementia.  Unlike Wayne Bob is in a nursing home tied to Hospice. This is different than home care to the end. Yet it also has its own set of unique and very difficult trials.

Yet through all the past changes good and "bad," God has been good. God has grown me spiritually through them all. He has said that He will use all the changes for His glory and my ultimate good. I have often struggled with the challenges and changes, especially the present ones where it is difficult to see what lies ahead in both the near and distant future. Yet God is sovereign however, and He is with me. I need to rest in that truth.

What are the changes and challenges in your life, dear child of God? Through the difficult changes and through the exciting and wonderful changes, God will be with you step by step. He has promised that in His Word. Lean on Him.