I sat on the deck of a hotel room in Nepal early one morning, sipping coffee and watching the sun come up over the Himalayan mountains. As I searched my Bible app for passages about mountains, light and clouds shifted over the snowy peaks in the distance. It felt as if God sat in the chair beside me, filling me with a confident, quiet peace. I didn’t want the experience to end.
There is nothing quite like a mountaintop experience that thrusts us into God’s arms. So, I did what writers do; I scribbled thoughts and feelings on a small hotel notepad, trying to capture the moment, knowing these sensations would quickly fade once I returned home. I wondered how many mountaintop experiences I had already forgotten.
When we take away the dramatic scenery, it is hard to feel as if we are on a mountaintop daily. The stress and distractions of our noisy, busy world leave us anxious and drained. Heavy burdens on our shoulders force our gaze downward, fearful that one misstep will bring everything crashing down around us.
In Psalms, the writer contemplates his own burdens as he lifts his eyes to a point in the distance. He is not gazing at the physical mountains of Israel, however. He visualizes the unseen hills of Zion and reminds himself that his help and strength come from the Lord. This is whom he looks up to.
Like the psalmist, we should habitually look beyond our immediate circumstances and see the world as God sees it: from an eternal mountaintop perspective. Our challenges may not disappear entirely, but when we lift the eyes of our hearts to the One who made heaven and earth, we can find peace knowing that we do not carry our burdens alone.
God is waiting for you to feel His presence. No matter where you are, look up.
Laura Newbury is a writer and consultant based in the Washington, D.C. area. She writes for both secular and faith-based clients and has published articles on Christian stewardship and other faith topics. She has also penned a quarterly stewardship blog for her church. Her writing is inspired by nature, music, and the confident, humble faith of the women in her family.