The hill of Faith...

(Isaiah 40:9) “Get thee up into the high mountain.”

The “promises of God” are sweeter that honey in the rock, have we seen them and if so are we seeking them out as a bear would seek out honey in the rock. I can with assurance and without any fear of contradiction say that God does love to reward His children when they seek Him out. “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) – It was disobedience in the beginning that caused a rift between God and man and then it was the obedience of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour that by obedience made a way once again for mankind to have fellowship with the only true living God. Although He paid the ultimate sacrifice by laying down his life and the position He held in heaven, it was His obedience to the will of His Father that although it would be silly to overlook all the great achievements of our Saviour here on earth and we would be foolish to do so. Nevertheless His obedience must outshine the rest of His achievements. In fact it was because of His obedience that he achieved what He accomplished. In the Garden of Gethsemane He face much turmoil as the flesh looked for a way of escape. How can I say that? Well it is in the text; “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

We have to learn this lesson above every other lesson, God before us! Have I learnt it? Oh but for the grace of God I pray to learn to walk and talk with my God, just like Enoch did; A little deeper in conversation as the days go by. Yet we know that without “faith it is impossible to please God” but we also know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out. “Obedience is better than sacrifice”! Our obedience must hinge on faith, and when we are obedient to obey God’s Word we find ourselves in a wonderful place, I would like to give this place a name, “the hill of faith”.

There are subtle deceptions that hinder the Christian into believing so many lies, believe them not as they will only bring misery, but when we trust in our God and in faith step out and sincerely seek out His will, “as on earth as in heaven”, yes we may be miles off the mark with the way we live at times it will have to change. God is in control!  But is there sincerity in our hearts that wants to please our God, God knows! If the answer is yes, then I can with absolute assurance persuade you to continue faithfully to visit the “hill of faith” because this is what it will do for your souls…

 “Get thee up into the high mountain.”

Our knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the base you see but little: the mountain itself appears to be but one-half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley, you discover scarcely anything but the rippling brooks as they descend into the stream at the foot of the mountain. Climb the first rising knoll, and the valley lengthens and widens beneath your feet. Go higher, and you see the country for four or five miles round, and you are delighted with the widening prospect. Mount still, and the scene enlarges; till at last, when you are on the summit, and look east, west, north, and south, you see almost all England lying before you. Yonder is a forest in some distant county, perhaps two hundred miles away, and here the sea, and there a shining river and the smoking chimneys of a manufacturing town, or the masts of the ships in a busy port. All these things please and delight you, and you say, “I could not have imagined that so much could be seen at this elevation.” Now, the Christian life is of the same order. When we first believe in Christ we see but little of him. The higher we climb the more we discover of his beauties. But who has ever gained the summit? Who has known all the heights and depths of the love of Christ which passes knowledge? Paul, when grown old, sitting grey-haired, shivering in a dungeon in Rome, could say with greater emphasis than we can, “I know whom I have believed,” for each experience had been like the climbing of a hill, each trial had been like ascending another summit, and his death seemed like gaining the top of the mountain, from which he could see the whole of the faithfulness and the love of him to whom he had committed his soul. Get thee up, dear friend, into the high mountain. (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing Off

Tyrone