Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. (Mark 3:13)

…Jesus…led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. (Mark 9:2)

Following Jesus can be an uphill struggle as He calls us to higher ground, but it’s worth the effort. The view from the mountain top is panoramic. From there, one can see the bigger picture – His point of view.

Mountain climbing is a good practice. It requires strength, endurance, patience, grit, and all the things that make for good character. We spent last week in the mountains, and every day we placed a hiking challenge before us. Day by day, throughout the week we increased the challenge, and by the end of the week we had acclimated to the higher elevation; we felt stronger as the hikes progressed. Our joy increased as the elevation increased.

Jesus calls us higher. There are no escalators that will take us there. No elevators to the mountain peaks. We, each of us, have to pick up our backpacks and follow Him higher. Sweat, we must, and pant. But the effort is worth it!

Do we earn our place with Jesus through our effort? Certainly not! Still, to go higher requires exercise on our part. God is not opposed to effort. Jesus didn’t carry His disciples on His back up the mountaintop one by one. They each had to follow Him there, wiping the sweat from their brows and stopping at streams to refresh themselves.

Getting to that pinnacle, seeing that panoramic view makes the exercise worth it. Let’s follow Jesus to higher places; let’s see the world from His point of view. Pray this plain and simple prayer with us today.

Jesus,

I want to expand my horizons. Take me higher! I hear You calling me to climb the heights with You. I get up off my seat of comfort and complacency. I take hold of Your hand and together we climb higher. The journey to the mountaintop with You is sweet, though challenging. You speak Your love and Your wisdom, encouragement and insight to me, and our friendship grows in intimacy. As we journey, my faith grows. I see Your strength. I see the wonder of Your creation through Your own eyes as You stop and marvel at the beauty along the way.

You, Jesus, are my all in all. I love this hike with You. Take me higher and higher!

Amen!

“It was a harder day’s journey than yesterday’s, for there were long and weary hills to climb; and in journeys, as in life, it is a great deal easier to go down hill than up. However, they kept on, with unabated perseverance, and the hill has not yet lifted its face to heaven that perseverance will not gain the summit of at last.” ~ Charles Dickens

Photo credit: Foter.com