Perspective of the Mountains

If you want to get a good perspective of life, get a good perspective of the mountains.

The Perspective from the Top of a Mountain

A while back, I went with my husband and my two dear friends Debbie and Charlie to the top of Mount Cheaha, the highest natural point in the state of Alabama and the thirty-fifth highest point in the United States. It is 2,413 feet high. We sat on the very edge of Bald Rock and dangled our feet above miles of tree-studded terrain. Although I had done it before, it’s always a thrill to be so high over the rest of the world! The great, infinite sky loomed above, and the objects below shrunk into unimportance. It was majestic, peaceful, and awe-inspiring, and no camera could do it justice.

Another such place is Lookout Mountain in the northwest corner of Georgia near the Tennessee state line. It is 2,389 feet high. I have stood at its peak under a crystal clear sky and looked out over seven states: Georgia, Tennessee (one half mile away), Alabama (twenty five miles away), North Carolina (fifty miles away), South Carolina (eighty miles away), Kentucky, and Virginia (each one- hundred-twenty miles away). 

The Highest Mountains

Though impressive, those mountains pale in comparison to some. The highest peak on earth is on Mount Everest on the border between Nepal and China in the Himalayan Mountains. It stands an impressive 29,029 feet high. Its icy slopes have offered a challenge to climbers for decades. Some make it to look out from the top, and some fail the attempt. 

Although Mount Everest represents the highest place on earth, it is not the tallest mountain in the world. Mount McKinley in Alaska holds that record based on measurements taken from the base of the mountain, which is above sea level, to the highest peak. However, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest mountain in the world if measured from its base, which is under water, to its peak which reaches 13,796 feet. From base to peak it is over 6.3 miles! 

The perspective from the top of these places is incredible, nearly inconceivable. Buildings, vehicles, people seem tiny and unrecognizable— insignificant. The perspective from the bottom is awesome, as well. You look up, and up, and up some more, to see the top, and there at the bottom, you feel so small and unimportant. 

Our Perspective of the Mountain

Sometimes your problems look like mountains and you seem to be gazing up from the very bottom. You measure the distance and difficulty in your mind and wonder how in the world you are going to make it up and over. You feel tiny and insignificant in the face of the challenge. It is so easy to just give up. Here’s a better plan: the next time you look at your “mountain,”  think first about the way you see it from where you are at the bottom. Then think about the way God sees it from His perspective. 

When God looks down at a mountain-top, He doesn’t just see the top of the mountain, but He sees what is far above it. Remember, He created that mountain! Have you ever looked at mountains on a topographical map? They don’t look so intimidating there. Ever see a picture of the earth from space? You can’t even discern mountains. What you view as insurmountable, God sees as an opportunity for you to trust Him. That’s what your problems are–an opportunity to trust Him.

“In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him” (Ps. 95:4). “The mountains melt before Him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope” (Mic. 1:1-4). “The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at His presence, the world and all who live in it” (Nah. 1:5). In short (pun intended), mountains are no obstacle to God. Neither are your problems. They do not surprise Him, worry Him, or intimidate Him. 

God’s Perspective of the Mountain

What you need is His perspective of your mountain. There is always a way, but (and this is really important!) it may not be your way; it may not be your timing. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isa. 55:8–9). A very wise pastor used to tell us, “There are two ways to do things: there’s God’s way, and there’s God’s way. The only difference is the second one takes longer.” 

If you still have difficulty seeing from God’s perspective, try viewing your mountain from bottom to top, but in do-able steps. Remember, “[His] word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path” (Ps. 119:105).

I used to take long walks at night. There were parts of my route that were paved and lit by street lamps, but there were also parts that were rocky and meandered under thick trees that blocked out any light. I carried a flashlight with me. Using the flashlight I could see where my feet should go for my next step and perhaps a little more.  However, I could not see all the way to the end of the path.

See Your Mountain Through His Eyes

That is often the way God leads us with respect to our mountains, revealing one or two steps at a time. In His great wisdom, He knows that sometimes it may be a good thing to know exactly what’s in store, and sometimes it may be so intimidating that it stops us where we are. One step at a time as He lights the way is enough to keep us going. 

All you have to do is ask God your Father to show you your situation from His perspective and ask Him for His help. Let Him be the lamp to your feet and the light to your path as you traverse your situation. Remember, He does not owe you, nor does He promise you an explanation. Trust Him. He knows the end from the beginning, and He loves you more than anyone else has ever loved you. 

Lord God, my mountain seems so high and I feel so weak. Help me to see beyond my stress and to see the mountain through Your eyes. Strengthen me. Please lead me over, under, or around the mountain as You see fit. I will follow Your light. Grow my faith as needed, and let this mountain accomplish something good in me that I may testify of Your great deeds. Amen. 

*formerly published in Refill My Cup