Adapted from Oswald Chambers, Morning and Evening, October 1
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them” (Mark 9:2).
Most have had those times on the spiritual mountain where we get to see things from God‘s viewpoint. If you’ve been there, you probably wanted to stay, but that’s just not how it works.
The test of our spiritual life is not in the power to ascend, but to descend.
If we ascend exclusively, then something is wrong.
It’s great to be on top of the mountain but God only puts us there so that after we descend, we grab someone by the hand and take them up for their own elevated view of God.
We’re not built for the mountains but for the valley where our mettle is proven.
Spiritual selfishness always wants an ongoing moment on the mount. A spiritual sense of entitlement comes natural to live like the angels. Times of exaltation are exceptional, and were meant to be that way, but the meaning in our life with God must not be defined exclusively by those moments.
We tend to think everything happens to us for teaching, but something far better awaits… character.
The top of the mountain is not to TEACH us something as much as it is to MAKE us something for the ongoing benefit of others.
There’s difficulty in asking “What’s the use?” and such questions don’t offer help in complicated matters of the heart. The moments on the mountain are rare, and are meant to change us, but are ultimately for His perfect and pleasing will.
Tim Holman, Writer 