Mountains
Psalm 72:3 The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
There are many "mountains" and "hills" before us in this time of human history. Mountains of financial uncertainty, violence, war, terror, natural disaster, political corruption...these are all mountains that lay before us. Leading up to the mountains are the foothills, those obstacles closer to us in our life-journey to where God is taking us. The foothills are more near to us than the events on CNN...they are in our families, at work, at church, and in the neighborhood.
Psalm 72 was written for all generations, but is most applicable to our generation...to today.
Jesus gave us the signs that would tell us we were in the generation He was about to return to. Those signs are all happening right now. He said, when you see them happen together, at the same time, know that generation will not pass until He returns. We are that generation.
Psalm 72 says the mountains "bring peace". The "little hills" produce righteousness. What amazing assurance God wants us to have! The mountainous obstacles before you. The challenges that appear insurmountable...unchangeable like a mountain...these are the very things God is using to bring true and lasting peace to planet earth. Those obstacles closer to home. Maybe less large than economic collapse or war, but still mountainous in our eyes, division in our home, rebellion in our kids, strife at work...these are the very things God is using to produce righteousness in our own lives.
God didn't create the difficult mountains and hills before us:
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Because God is committed to love, He is also committed to free will. Because of free will, many live outside of God's will. This creates mountains and hills. But, God's promise is to work "all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Called according to His purpose is key. God promises to use the hills before me for my good, but my response determines whether I will let Him. Called according to His purpose means "agreeing with Him" about what is before me and how to proceed. Will I let the hill scare me? No, because this pulls me from His purpose. Will I let the hill depress me? No. Will I let the hill make me flee, lie, cry, collapse, blame someone else? No, no, no, no!!! I want to agree with God about the hill. He may not have created it, but God is certainly sovereign over it! I will say to the hill, "God knows exactly how to deal with you.". I say be "thrown into the sea!" My God will either carry me over the hill, or it will be moved." For my God is an awesome God. He reigns. No mountain or hill propped up in GOD's earth will stop me or cause me to be moved, IF I let myself be called according to His purpose. If I will agree with God about my response to the mountain or hill. This is a response in agreement with God: "Thank you God for this hill and the testimony I am about to receive about how it did not harm me one bit!"
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
There are many "mountains" and "hills" before us in this time of human history. Mountains of financial uncertainty, violence, war, terror, natural disaster, political corruption...these are all mountains that lay before us. Leading up to the mountains are the foothills, those obstacles closer to us in our life-journey to where God is taking us. The foothills are more near to us than the events on CNN...they are in our families, at work, at church, and in the neighborhood.
Psalm 72 was written for all generations, but is most applicable to our generation...to today.
Jesus gave us the signs that would tell us we were in the generation He was about to return to. Those signs are all happening right now. He said, when you see them happen together, at the same time, know that generation will not pass until He returns. We are that generation.
Psalm 72 says the mountains "bring peace". The "little hills" produce righteousness. What amazing assurance God wants us to have! The mountainous obstacles before you. The challenges that appear insurmountable...unchangeable like a mountain...these are the very things God is using to bring true and lasting peace to planet earth. Those obstacles closer to home. Maybe less large than economic collapse or war, but still mountainous in our eyes, division in our home, rebellion in our kids, strife at work...these are the very things God is using to produce righteousness in our own lives.
God didn't create the difficult mountains and hills before us:
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Because God is committed to love, He is also committed to free will. Because of free will, many live outside of God's will. This creates mountains and hills. But, God's promise is to work "all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Called according to His purpose is key. God promises to use the hills before me for my good, but my response determines whether I will let Him. Called according to His purpose means "agreeing with Him" about what is before me and how to proceed. Will I let the hill scare me? No, because this pulls me from His purpose. Will I let the hill depress me? No. Will I let the hill make me flee, lie, cry, collapse, blame someone else? No, no, no, no!!! I want to agree with God about the hill. He may not have created it, but God is certainly sovereign over it! I will say to the hill, "God knows exactly how to deal with you.". I say be "thrown into the sea!" My God will either carry me over the hill, or it will be moved." For my God is an awesome God. He reigns. No mountain or hill propped up in GOD's earth will stop me or cause me to be moved, IF I let myself be called according to His purpose. If I will agree with God about my response to the mountain or hill. This is a response in agreement with God: "Thank you God for this hill and the testimony I am about to receive about how it did not harm me one bit!"
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
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