I would like to give you a sneak peak at the September church newsletter column, "One Servant's Heart." I hope you enjoy it.

Deuteronomy 1:6
"The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: 'You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.'"

All of us would agree that there's nothing much better than being "on the mountaintop," of that spiritual high we experience when God is pouring His blessings out upon us. We are aware of the Lord's presence in a particularly moving service, and it's really beyond description how wonderful it is within us.

But did you know that, in some cases, we can have too much of a good thing?

You may be asking, "How is it possible to have too much of that mountaintop experience?" Well, in this month's verse, we find the children of Israel camped around the mountain of God. God had blessed the people with His presence, with meaningful and instructive worship experiences. But God had something more for the people, something better, something more in God's plan: the Promised Land.

God had promised Abraham and his descendants that He would give them a land to call their own, a land which would cultivate a belief in and worship of the one true God, a land that would provide a home for the Messiah. The thing was this: Mount Horeb wasn't the Promised Land. It was more what you would call a "glory-filled rest area" on the journey. In order to make it to the Promised Land and fulfill more of the promises of God, the children of Israel had to leave the mountain.

This was not the only example of this idea. In the New Testament, we see practically the same thing on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, James and John had witnessed Jesus in His true glory, along with Elijah and Moses, who had been the recipient of the original "vacate the mountain" message. Peter and the others were ready to stay up on the Mount of Transfiguration, ready to build three temples and live happily ever after. But Jesus told the disciples that it was time to leave. The mountaintop was not the place to stay, but a place to be remembered as a source of inspiration. It was to be used to strengthen them for the work ahead.

You see, it is very easy and tempting to fall into the habit (or rut) of tradition. We grow comfortable with the way things are. God begins to bless, and we decide to stay right where we are, in hopes that we can just receive the blessings from now on. But we need to remember, as I mentioned a moment ago, that those moments are a kind of "glory-filled rest area." It is in these times and places that we are refreshed, where we are motivated and blessed and encouraged. Then, we take what we've received and continue on our journey.

If you've ever taken a long trip, you know that when you begin to get worn out and tired, the rest area sign is a welcome relief. You can get out of the car, stretch, walk around, perhaps get something to eat or drink, then you go on your way. You don't want to stay at the rest area, despite how good it might be, because you know something better awaits you at the end of the journey. The entire point of the journey is to reach the destination, not stay at the rest area.

For the Christian, the destination is not the only great thing; the journey itself is also rewarding. There is work to be done, a plan to be fulfilled, a path to follow, lives to touch, and God wants us to let Him guide us. The mountaintop is great, and we all long to have that experience. Still, the Lord is telling us that the best still lies ahead. We must use the mountaintop experiences as times of refreshing and refueling, and take those blessings down the mountain with us. By doing this, we are able to show Christ's light to the world, lead others to a relationship with God, and draw ever closer to that robe and crown awaiting us in our eternal home.

Let us all desire that mountaintop, but then let us all desire to take that experience out and share it with others. There is much to do, and God's blessings can be found at the summit or the foot of the mountain. Enjoy the mountain, and allow God to carry you through the valley. And when you arrive at your final destination, you'll be glad you made the trip.

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