A View from the Mountain

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land…Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”  -Deuteronomy 34:1, 4 

After living here in southwest Virginia for nearly fifteen years I have developed a wonderful affinity for the mountains and the surrounding region.  This is truly some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen.  As I reflect upon this I cannot help but think about Moses and the view God gave him from the top of a mountain that was called Nebo.  From there Moses was able to see all the way into the Promised Land.  I can only imagine the thrill that surged through Moses’ heart as he beheld that beautiful valley that would become the dwelling place of his people the Israelites.  Unfortunately, Moses was only allowed to view that land from a distance; he was not permitted to enter into it.  

If you drive a couple of hours from Bristol on I-81 south, and then take Route 25E north, you will find yourself traveling up Clinch mountain.  Once you reach the top there is a scenic overlook where you can park and enjoy the view from the top of the mountain.  We have traveled this road many times and have stopped and taken in this spectacular view.  To me, this is something I have never grown tired of, and I always enjoy stopping and once again looking south toward the Tennessee valley.  On a clear day it is a view that will just about take your breath away.  

 

Consider that if we will trust in the Lord and seek a relationship with Him that He will permit us a look from the mountaintop of His love, grace, and power.  Unlike Moses, who was not permitted to cross over into that blessed place, we have been given free access to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  As we walk with the Lord we are also given wonderful glimpses into all that the Lord is willing to do in our lives; magnificent, marvelous, wonderful, and powerful works that will bless us beyond anything we could have imagined.  We are free in Jesus to move toward those blessings and experience them in the fullness of God’s love.

My friends, do not settle for just a gaze at what the Lord can do, but rather step out on faith and receive the blessings which the Lord has in store for us.  Trust the Lord every day and move forward into a deeper relationship with Him; blessing, peace, and joy and waiting.   

Look to the Lord today.