Date: Wednesday,
July 08, 2015
Chapters: Psalms
141-145
Message Title: Getting Back Down The Mountain
Safely

Hello My Friend,

Life is often
like climbing mountains, you see something, get up the nerve to take
a step and start climbing to get it. Some mountains have nice, smooth
paths, while others are rough and jagged, but once you reach the top
you feel like you can do anything. It's coming down the mountain that
often has the biggest challenges it seems easier to get back down.
It's how we handle those challenges coming down, or rather who we
have with us, that determines whether or not we truly have the
victory. We may be able to climb a mountain on our own, but to truly
get the victory we need Christ. “For
verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain,
Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt
in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith
shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I
say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” - Mark
11:23,24.

I have to say that this has been one of the most
blessed years that God has given me in a long time, every year is a
blessing, but some just flourish, and this is one of those for me. I
have reached the mountain top with God, and let me tell you, it
certainly has been a challenge coming back down. It is said that if
you serve God you are always in a position to seek day by day His
daily bread, and that could not be further from the truth. The devil
is continuously throwing all kinds of obstacles in my path to keep me
from getting off the mountain and telling the world what God has
done. He's not stopping me, he has gotten me take a few steps back
sometimes, and that's when God shows up. “LORD,
I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I
cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O
LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart
to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work
iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.” - Psalms
141:1-4.

When you choose Christ, the devil will throw all
sorts of obstacles in your way to slow you down, things like people,
opportunities, temptations, distractions, and afflictions. We must
climb our mountains with God daily so that our heart does not get
tangled in the deception of the devil. “Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt
you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for
you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist
stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” - 1
Peter 5:6-9.

To be honest, we have the same mountains to
climb up and down as those who reject Christ do. God is not a
respecter of persons, good, bad, life, death, joys, and pains come
from all walks of life whether we are saved or not. The difference
between us and them, we have Christ, and while our flesh may get
caught in the traps of the devil, Jesus has our soul, and he can't
touch that. We can't always see God when we get caught in the devil's
snares, but He will show up when we do all we can humanly do and just
cry to God. “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear
to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy
righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in
thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath
persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he
hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is
desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I
muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my
soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.” -
Psalms 143:1-6.

Let's face it, no matter how strong our
faith in God, we are going to mess up, and in the blink of an eye, we
can plummet down the mountain. I will admit that I have made the
wrong judgment on a few things in my life this year, and I started
sliding. Thank God, He grabbed a hold of me and reminded me that I
better stop before I do something really stupid. You know, God does
let us fall sometimes, He allows it so we can be reminded that He
never lets go. He may let us dangle on the edge of the mountain, and
let us get a little bruised, but He's always there to pick us up and
put us back in the right direction, after He cleans us up.
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh
which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much
rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For
they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but
he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no
chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” -
Hebrews 12:9-11.





Sometimes when we come down from the mountain and seem to face one
challenge after another, it may well be that it is God putting the
challenges before us. When we reach the top of our mountain, I mean
actually get to see God answer a prayer that we have been waiting so
long for, we can lose sight of God as we come down to enjoy the
victory. Perhaps we unintentionally stop giving God the glory as we
come down, or we stop asking Him for His help or maybe we stop
giving Him first place over our victory. Whatever the reason why, God
has decided to place an obstacle, sometimes many, on our way down to
show us that He is still around and we need at all times. “The
LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great
mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all
his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints
shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and
talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,
and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. The LORD is righteous in all
his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them
that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will
fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry,
and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but
all the wicked will he destroy.” - Psalms
145:8-12,17-20.

God loves His people, He never lets them
go, and has an ample amount of mercy and grace to sustain them all.
Are we always going to acknowledge Him and keep Him first in our
lives? No, we are going to get so wrapped up in our mountain that we
neglect Him. And when that happens we can expect some challenges, and
really the challenges have nothing to do with our faith, I mean we
know what God can do for us. It has everything to do with someone
else seeing what God has done for us, and seeing that soul surrender
to Christ. It's all about the glory of God and adding one more soul
before Jesus returns to destroy all the wicked. “Brethren,
if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him
know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
- James 5:19,20.

Today's Prayer:
God, It truly is amazing how blessed I am, while I may complain that
something is not going my way, You are quick to remind me of all that
You have done for me this year and every year. It's so easy to
neglect You when I am trying to come down the mountain, and I am
sorry that I have been. I know that Your hand is in everything that I
am going through, and I thank You for Your mercy and grace in helping
me through the wrong judgments I have made. You got me to the
mountain top and as I climb back down You know the challenges I am
facing, You allowed them all. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me the
wisdom to know how to handle each obstacle, the strength to endure
the challenges, Your power to resist the devil, Your hedge of
protection around me to get me down safely. And give me Your mercy,
grace, and patience to get to the bottom and declare Your glory to
all the world. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You,
I am praying for you,
Christina

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