I Kings 19:11-13a
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
There are many natural disasters reported in the news these days. There’s bad weather, mudslides, earthquakes, and forest fires, just to name a few. No matter what part of the country you live in, you need to be prepared to handle the threatening situations that can occur.
Unfortunately, we tend to blame God for all the bad stuff in life. A tornado wipes out a trailer park, so we call it “an act of God.” We figure anything that powerful, like floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes must be His doing.
The simple truth is that these things are not the work of God. He is not the God of death and destruction, but the God of love. His desire is to win the hearts of men and women through His gift of salvation. He wants relationship with His creation.
We should be listening for that “gentle whisper” that speaks to our heart. He uses this method to draw us to Himself. Instead of seeking Him in the destructive forces of nature – seek to hear Him in the stillness of a quiet place.
Tags: act of God, awesome God, death, destruction, gift of salvation, God's love, holy worship, intimacy, natural disasters, prayer, presence of the lord, problems, quiet place, relationship, salvation, still small voice, trust
Exodus 34:29-30
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
Having spent time on a mountaintop with God, Moses’ face began to shine with a radiance like that of the sun. It was so bright that it caused the Israelites to fear even being near him. There was no doubt about it. Moses was changed, inside and out.
When you spend quality, intimate, time with the Lord, people will begin to notice a change in you. Your face will probably not begin to glow. But just like Moses began to reflect the glory of God, your life will begin to reflect Christ in a new and more powerful way. As a matter of fact, you may not notice the change as much as your family and friends will.
We all have areas in our lives that need change. Sometimes we try to do it on our own. Usually we fail – we are not strong enough. Lasting change comes from a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The kind of work that requires a freedom from distractions. This means that you must have a “secret place” to get alone with Christ.
Spend some time with the Lord today. Open up your life to Him so that He might work in you. Yield your desires to the Lord that He might shed His transforming power upon your heart. Let lasting change begin today.
Tags: change, Christ, disciple, glory, Holy Spirit, inside and out, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, prayer, presence of the lord, reflect Christ, reflect the glory
Isaiah 2:2-3
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
When the temple was established in Jerusalem, no gentile could ever enter it, no matter how devout they were. Temple worship was the exclusive right of the nation of Israel.
Things are different now. Because of what Christ has done, all nations may now enter the invisible, holy temple of God. We can now climb the heights to His very presence. What was formerly impossible is now accessible by grace.
It is now possible to sit at the feet of the Lord and allow Him to teach you His ways. Even when the temple was open to Israel, only the priests had that privilege. Now, because of the cross, we can all experience the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Make that climb today, to the top, to the mountain of God’s temple. Approach the majestic presence of the Creator of all things. Worship at His feet, for He is worthy to receive it. Wait on Him, for His Spirit to move upon your heart. Lives are forever changed up on that mountain. Let yours be one of them.
Tags: accessible, Bible, calling, changed lives, Christ, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's temple, higher, holy, Holy Spirit, holy temple, holy worship, intimacy, invisible, Jesus Christ, mountain, power, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, temple, victory
II Kings 1:9-10
Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!'”
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.
There is a peace that comes from being on a mountaintop, or even a hilltop. It seems easier to seek the Lord in these places. The sights and sounds all combine together to make your spirit more open to God. Elijah was in such a place. He realized that the place of prayer was a place of power before God.
Sometimes, in our Christian walk, we experience a spiritual mountaintop. It is a place where God gives us special clarity about what’s ahead. It is an intimate place with the Lord and usually we don’t want it to end too quickly.
In this verse the king ordered Elijah to come down from his mountaintop. He even sent a contingent of soldiers to move Elijah off of his God-given assignment. Unfortunately for the captain and his men, the power of God worked to remove the distraction from the prophet’s path.
In our daily lives, it is the distractions of society that order us out of the presence of the Lord. We need to learn to remain on the mountain (at least in our hearts). If we can continue our focus on the Lord. Then, even when we must leave the place of prayer, His peace still remains.
Take the time today to find that place of peace with the Lord. Spend quality time in His presence, then continue to meditate upon Him throughout the day.
Tags: Bible, Christian, clarity, devotion, distractions, Elijah, encouragement, enemies, fellowship, intimacy, meditate, mountain, mountaintop, peace, power, power of God, prayer, presence of the lord, spiritual mountaintop, strength, trust, victory
Mark 1:35-39
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Many times Jesus would leave a house to find a solitary place to pray. Most of the time He would leave while it was still dark. I’m sure that He didn’t even tell anyone He was leaving. It must have been much later when the disciples started their search.
When the disciples finally caught up with Him they rebuked Him for “getting lost.” It is amazing to me that in reply Jesus ignores their complaints and simply tells them what He had heard from the Father – the next step in their ministry to Israel.
Do you need to know the next step in your life? If Jesus needed to seek God in that way, I assume that the same has to be true for us. We desperately need a Word from the Father to complete our task.
Find that peaceful place today. Go before the Lord in the stillness that surrounds you and open up your soul to Him. Spend some time just listening for His still, small voice to your heart. Then answer the call in obedience to His will.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jesus Christ, next step, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, seek God, solitary place, solitude, still small voice, word from God
I John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
This is one of the toughest assignments we could ever have been given. It could take someone his whole life just to get started. Fear, pride and other things will keep some from accepting the gift of salvation until they are much older. Personally, I’m glad I accepted Christ at a young age.
In this verse, however, John is not talking about our initial conversion to Christ, but rather our ongoing walk with Him. There are many aspects of this walk that I have heard people talk about. Loving one another, sharing the good news, and praying for the sick are just a few.
From what I’ve seen there is a major part of Jesus’ life that most Christians never even hear about, let alone imitate. I am talking about the many times that Jesus went to a solitary place just to be alone with the Father. It was during these times that He received the strength and guidance needed to fulfill His public ministry.
So, in my opinion, if Jesus needed this in His life, if He felt He couldn’t complete His call without it, then who am I to think I can get by without these private times in the Lord’s presence. That is why I put together these devotions. I want as many believers as are able, to experience this incredible meeting of them and God in that secret place.
Spend time in the Father’s presence today. Find there what your soul needs to carry on.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, guidance, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, revival, solitary place, strength, walk like Jesus
Mark 6:45-47
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
As I read the Gospels, I find that Jesus loved the mountains. He went there often to seek solitude and to pray. I don’t think that the disciples ever realized the importance of this part of the Lord’s ministry until after the resurrection.
There were many times where the best thing for Him to do was to dismiss the crowds and to send away His disciples in order to be alone with the Father. This was one of those times. He had just ministered to thousands of people. That can be very draining no matter who you are.
When the Lord took on flesh and blood, He chose to live as one of us. Because of this, Jesus was bound by the same physical limitations that we are. He learned that you cannot just keep giving out to others. You must also take something in that can recharge your own spiritual batteries.
It was in these mountains of prayer that Jesus was able to renew His Spirit. He would seek the Father’s face and by the Spirit, hear the plan for the road ahead. In that way He could fulfill the work He was called to do without burning Himself out doing it.
That needs to be a lesson for us. If Jesus needed this time with the Father, how much more should we be seeking the presence of the Lord in our daily lives. Take the time necessary today to renew and refresh yourself in the presence of the Lord. You will be glad you did.
Tags: Bible, burn out, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, overcoming, power, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, recharge, renew, solitude, strength, trust, victory, walk on water
Joshua 8:30, 34-35
Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel…
Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law – the blessings and the curses – just as it is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens who lived among them.
Moses left instructions for the Children of Israel to complete after he died. Joshua was to take them to Mt. Ebal. As they came into that area they were to climb the sides of two mountains that faced each other.
The words of the entire law of Moses were then to be read aloud to them. In this way they were to hear the law again and reaffirm their commitment to God and to His law.
It is always important to review what God has called us to. From time to time we must come to a point in our lives where we can remember what was spoken to us. Then, with faith rekindled, we reaffirm our commitment to see it through. Sometimes all that is called for is a quiet, out of the way place to review where we have been and where we are going.
Is there some unfinished business between you and the Lord? Go to Him today. Let Him know, once more, that you are standing firm and will see your calling accomplished. If you have been ignoring it, now would be a good time to pick it back up again. Take some quality time today to talk with God.
Tags: Bible, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Joshua, Moses, mountain, overcoming, praise, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, reaffirm, remember, testimony, trust, unfinished business, victory
John 4:19-24
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The Jews and the Samaritans worshipped God on two different mountains. The woman speaking to Jesus in this verse was starting to get uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. She thought that she could start an argument about which was the right place. Fortunately the Lord was not distracted from His objective by her question.
Jesus answered that God is Spirit. He knows no physical limitations as to time and place. He explained to the woman that anywhere you worshipped God was the right place. This is a great blessing to us.
Worshipping God is one of the greatest experiences you could have. It doesn’t matter where you set aside the place. The key is that we come into His presence in spirit and in truth. To be alone with the Lord is something you cannot afford to miss.
Take the opportunity today to worship in His presence. Worship Him in spirit and truth, as He calls us to. You will find it to be one of the high points of your day.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, spirit and truth, worship
Luke 9:28-32
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
This was a life-changing event in the eyes of the apostles. As Jesus prayed on the mountain, His appearance changed. For a brief instance He clothed Himself with the glory that was His throughout eternity.
It is God’s desire to do a similar work in us. When we receive a word from the Lord we are changed. We see what we could become – what we are truly called to be in Christ. In that moment we get a glimpse of the glory that could be evident in our lives.
This is our portion and our heritage in God. It could happen if we would only take the time to free ourselves from the cares and distractions of everyday life. By doing so we would enter a realm where God could speak to us in such a way as to change us forever.
Enter that life-changing presence today. Submit to the power of the Lord’s Word to you. Be transformed at His feet. Then descend the mountain – forever changed.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, encouragement, faith, glory, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jesus Christ, life changing, mountain, mountaintop, overcoming, prayer, presence of the lord
The Spirit and the Word 