A lot of my life has been spent in the mountains, most of that mountain time was spent hunting and climbing peaks.  When we lived in Utah, we lived at the foot of the Wasatch mountains and I climbed all the peaks along the front range from Mount Olympus to Lone Peak.  But when we lived in the Denver metro area, I was able to climb and summit five 14,000′ peaks, it was always exhilarating.  But often it was work that called for endurance and perseverance, one such peak was Longs peak, the northern most 14,000′ peak in Colorado.  Our trail head was about 7.5 miles from the summit, there was a narrow part of the trail toward the top that had a 1500′ drop off one side.  You had to stay focused, you had to pay attention and you had to be physically prepared or else you wouldn’t get far at all and probably end up in disaster.  Yet, if prepared and focused making the summit is a fulfilling joy.

There are other mountains in life that can be daunting and yet they are placed there by the Lord for us to climb to reach the summit.  The summit often becomes a milestone of our spiritual growth in the Lord.  But those mountain climbs can be demanding.  You may encounter a swift running river that must be crossed, challenges that call you to overcome fear or inexperience in order to continue the climb.  You may encounter wild animals that present danger, could be relationships with people that are uncertain as to whether they are discouraging or encouraging.  You can find yourself with uncertain footing, like making decisions that need a solid foundation to be made right.  All the way to the summit you must persevere, one step at a time remaining focused on the trail, the surrounding environment and most importantly the goal of the summit.

Paul talked about a goal, a true summit in Phil. 2:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

As we deal with what seems a continuously changing upheaval in life because of the corona virus, the trail of the climb becomes foggy and even more perilous.  This is the time though to trust our safe and secure “Sherpa guide” the Holy Spirit to guide each us on each step up the trail.  We must keep climbing striving to reach the summit, the goal promised by God’s heavenly call in Jesus.  If we lose sight here, we could easily stumble.  We don’t know what is up each steep ascent, but we must persevere in faith that God has prepared the way.  Our fitness comes through prayer and the Word, so essential to staying focused.  You may not hike mountain trails, but if you are a follower of Jesus you are on the climb of your life.  Don’t let the pandemic, regardless of how long it affects your physical life, keep you from climbing the spiritual mountain God has called you to climb.