Mountains

Fourth Christmas Gift

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Fourth Gift of Christmas – Faith

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

While we have been busy believing God for all kinds of blessings for our own lives, let’s remember to pause to have faith for others. What kinds of mountains do the people around us face? If we aren’t sure maybe it is because we new-alaska-pics-4haven’t asked. We haven’t asked too often because we have been too busy with our own problems.

As Christmas nears maybe we need to take a peek into someone else’s world. What mountains are they facing? Like the disciples we often feel that our faith is so small it can hardly make a difference. But Jesus didn’t seem to be concerned about the size of our faith so much as its reality. If we really have even just a little faith it will make a difference in someone else’s life. What is keeping us back from offering to them the gift of faith?

The everlasting hills

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The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers Genesis 49:26

There are times to walk through the valleys, but God has also called us to the everlasting hills. Only on those hills where we walk alone with God can He give us the blessings we will pass on to the next generation.On the mountain Abraham offered his son and discovered that God had provided a lamb.  On the mountain Moses’ face began to glow in God’s presence then He was given the ten commandments on stone tablets.On the mountain Elijah saw the earthquake, the hurricane and the fire then he heard the still voice of God for Israel’s future.On the mountain Jesus prayed all night before He chose the twelve apostles. But of all these blessings which God gave none was greater than when He gave eternal life on the mountain called Calvary.

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur or hear the brook

Or feel the gentle breeze…then sings my soul!   Carl Boberg

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For I Shall Again Praise Him!

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Soon the last colors around here will be the blue of the sky and the gray of the bare trees. But today I had to stop the car and run out into a field to capture this bit of blue and green with just a few dabs of the creator’s paintbrush left on our mountains.

Ahead lie months of slush covered roads, gray snow clouds and chilly winds. As if to say, we will be back in full leaf and beautiful again next season, the trees wave good-bye. Maybe King David was feeling down and a little sorry for himself on the day he left us these words. But just as He was headed on that downward spiral of despair and depression he caught a vision of what praise was still to be! For I shall again praise Him!

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God  Psalm 42:11 ESV

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