Focus: Two Mountains

Text: Mt.15:29

"And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there."

Life presents us with two mountains - a mountain to climb and a mountain to remove. Climbable mountains require courage and determination to climb them. Removable mountains demand faith in God to get them out of your way and out of your life. Climbable mountains relate to life's challenges, tasks or goals. Removable mountains relate to life's impossibilities or extreme difficulties. 

Paul talks about having all faith, so that one could remove mountains. Faith is required to get certain mountains out of your way. Faith involves the God of all possibilities and gets Him to deal with impossibilities in your life.

Jesus Christ says to His disciples, "If ye have FAITH as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall SAY unto this mountain, REMOVE hence to yonder place; and it shall REMOVE; and NOTHING shall be IMPOSSIBLE unto YOU" (Mt.17:20). In chapter 21, He says again to His disciples, "If ye have FAITH, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou REMOVED, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be DONE" (Mt.21:21). 

Impossible situations in your life shall bow to your strong and stubborn faith. Faith in God can drown your mountains of extreme difficulty or impossibility.

Certain tasks in life are highly challenging. Certain goals in life seem utterly unreachable or highly unattainable. In the face of life's challenges we often feel intimidated, diminished or defeated, but with courage and dogged determination we can rise above them. Matthew writes, "And seeing the multitudes, he went UP into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him" (Mt.5:1). Jesus Christ saw a need to meet in the lives of the people, and climbing the mountain was one thing He had to do to achieve His goal. He needed the mountain as His podium.

Fear makes it extremely difficult for anyone to climb his or her mountain. We need confidence and courage to dare mountains of challenges, obstacles, tasks and goals. Someone wisely said, "When there is a hill to climb, don't think that waiting will make it smaller." Make up your mind to face your mountains. Conquer your fears and take bold steps in climbing your mountains.

Stop praying for God to remove the mountain that is meant for you to climb. Stop trying to climb the mountain that is meant for you to remove by faith and prayer.

Distinguish the difference between climbable and removable mountains. Climb the mountains you have been divinely empowered to climb, and believe God to help you remove your mountains of impossibility. Don't mix up or confuse the two mountains. Climbable mountain is a responsibility. Removable mountain is a situation that is beyond your human ability or control, but of which faith in God can remove.

Receive the grace to climb the climbable, and the faith to remove the removable. Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter