From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. -Psalm 61:2 (NIV)
My relatively new walk has had some serious uphill climbs, but do you know what comes with each step higher? A better vantage point on life…a zoomed-out view of what is now and how it connects with what has come before. And with each new climb, I can see more and more of my life, and what the Lord is doing in it.
It’s in these moments that he gives us those “a ha!” glimpses of how to live above our circumstances, rather than get lost in them. I can see how those who have walked longer with the Lord have had more of these moments, and are more experienced at living above their circumstances.
God has the ultimate view, where he sees our lives on every level, from the smallest detail to the longest, widest view all the way to the end of our journey here on this earth. As some have said, we’re all threads in a larger tapestry He weaves. We are woven into it, and cannot see anything but the threads around us, but periodically, God elevates us above our circumstances to see a tiny piece of what He’s doing.
In my case, He is carrying me up a rocky and treacherous mountain. I’m still on my way up, but He is letting me rest on this ledge for a moment to breathe and review…and what I see is like waking up all over again. I can now see the root of decades of fear, confusion, and pain…and the path He has for me to overcome it: His righteous path.
His righteous path is a narrow, difficult climb. It can be a path where the world will spit on you and spurn you. This path will also include pains that will lead to growth…according to His timing. But He surrounds us with fellow agents who support us and equip us to scale the steep cliff faces…to push us up when we’re flagging…and to pray for us when we need it most. He works through each of us, because we’re all interwoven.
Keep climbing up to Him. And when He gives you that little ledge to breathe and look down and back for a minute, enjoy what He has woven, and then continue the climb with excited anticipation of His glorious, unfolding plan before you. This will not be easy. We’re not here for easy. We’re here to bring Him glory, and we can trust that He allows steep climbs now to reach the summits ahead.
Today’s soundtrack
Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Long Way Home” reminds us to trust in His plans, and even though the toughest times seem like we’re going the wrong way, they are just part of the long way home…and He is leading us home.
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