“The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.

Deuteronomy 1:6

There is also a passage in Mark chapter 9, where Jesus takes a few privileged disciples up to the top of a mountain and reveals Himself in a whole new, AMAZING way!  So much so, that the disciples wanted to stay up there, well, probably forever! I’m always a little jealous of those men who got to have the ultimate “mountaintop experience.” But if I’m being honest, I’m a little jealous of ANYONE who’s on the mountain.

My viewpoint has been a little different these past two years.  I’m been in the deep, dark green of the valley, or trying to scramble up the side of  the mountain, trying to fight my way out.  Psalm 23 talks about the “valley of the shadow of death,” which is another one I’ve been in a little too often for my taste.

Mount Horeb (see above verse!) was a place where great things happened in Moses’ life and in the lives of the Israelites who followed God.  It was where God first showed Himself to Moses via the burning bush.  It was there that God instructed Moses to strike a rock, and out flowed fresh water for the multitude. And it was there that the Israelites were commanded to strip off basically all the things that were keeping them from following God with their whole heart.

Those are a lot of great,emotional, and memorable experiences on one mountain.  Interestingly, the verse above seems to indicate that it was the last time they were ever on that mountain.  They had work to do, battles to fight, victories to be won.  Which, oddly enough, had to take place not on the mountaintop, but in the valley.

The same valley which I’ve been hanging out in for a pretty long time.

And it occurs to me.  The God of the mountaintop is the same God of the valley!  He is here with me, even though I’m weary of all the battles I’ve been fighting (which I will ultimately win, by the way! ). 

I know one day, I’ll get to stretch out and rest in the glory of God someday, on some mountaintop.  And I ALSO know today isn’t that day. And that’s okay! Because God has been revealing Himself in ways I never expected, has been showing me love I have not deserved, giving me grace and blessings I have not earned…all while down in this valley, which is, now that I think about it, a beautiful place to be. : )