Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalm 24: 3-4

Making the climb…

When rock climbing, you have to reach up for the next grab-hold. That means you have to let go of the one you are clinging to. It’s been a while since I posted anything from The River. After visiting this past Friday, I was so grateful to be home and worshipping our Lord through hearing His words in the message, dancing, singing, and praying. As always, the message hit hard; everything that followed helped to strengthen me in my current trial.

Wearing the right gear is necessary to have a good climb. I’ve never personally rock climbed, however, I’ve seen plenty do it. You don’t wear ballet shoes, wedges, or mud boots when climbing. You have to wear the right harness and the right footwear. We are to put on the armor of God for only in His truth can we stand firm. He commands us to withstand and stand firm. The difference being while withstanding, you must actively resist and oppose – or in our case, climb. However, when standing firm, it is to be established in your faith, kinda like viewing the landscape after a hard ascent up the mountain. Without the belt of Truth, our pants fall and our shame is shown. We stand on nothing firm unless it is the Rock of Ages. Not only this but when we have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), we will know where we are to stand and where we are sent. When we wear the wrong shoes, our feet start to hurt. It is the same with spiritual shoes for we will know when we are in God’s will because the peace that surpasseth all understanding will guard our hearts (Philippians 4:7), for our God is not a God of fear but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).

After getting the right gear, you must know what to bring. You don’t want to bring an inflatable pool or a telescope. You bring what is necessary. It is the same with ascending the hill of the Lord, our walk with Him. We are to lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1) and leave the old man crucified (Romans 6:6). We don’t need to bring our possessions with us. Just as in the following story, some are discouraged from the climb because they love things more than God:

The thing he lacked was giving up what he treasured. Some of you may not take priority in riches, but you take priority in your low self-esteem or doubt. Perhaps your lack of confidence wears you down or the unknown of what you should be as a Christian. Jesus is calling us to let go of all those things. He calls us to come to Him when we are weary and heavy-laden. Before you go any further up the mountain of the Lord, if you are weary of what you carry, He tells us we can bring it to Him. He doesn’t stop there but says His yoke is light. Friends, if we carry what Jesus wants for us, it won’t weigh us down negatively. He may give us a burden for particular people or things because He has called us to carry that cross, but do not look for things to carry when they aren’t yours to keep. Stop visiting the grave of the old man and weep no more. We are His adopted children and we are blessed with those adoptive rights as His children. Don’t take more than what He has called you to. Chuck the pride, the low self-esteem, the appearances, the doubts, the negativity. He wants you to make the climb!

Another point that was made during the night was the support needed while making the climb. Support is not just the rope you have to trust your weight to, but also those who cheer you on your journey up the cliff. There may be those who look like they are further up or those who are scaling the cliffs like mountain goats. Do not fret. They have different callings and trials than you. Do not compare your climb to theirs for that steals your joy and leaves you feeling defeated. Instead, look for those who are willing to make the climb with you. God doesn’t call us up the mountain alone. He made us to be beings that desire fellowship and companions. Some will grow with you on your journey. Never make the climb alone unless God has called you to do so. Nonetheless, when you make the climb, you’re going to need to know when to let go of your ledge and continue up the mountain face.

Knowing what to let go of and what to hold on to

When ascending the hill of the Lord, you must know when to let go of the ledge you are holding on to and when to reach for another. During the message, we were given two papers detailing examples of what to hold onto and what to let go of…

If we grab the wrong thing, if we grab sandy clay and not the Rock, we will fall and lose our grip. We must know when to let go of what we are holding on to so desperately and reach in faith when the Lord calls us up further or shows which ledge we must grab next. Sometimes, though, we get tired in the waiting. We start to wonder if we’ll ever make it further. Be encouraged for the Lord wants to see you make the climb. He is lifted up to draw all men to Himself.

The kingdom of God is like unto this:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Matthew 14:35-36

We are the pearl. We are precious in His sight and He gave His life for you and me to make the climb. He equips us and makes intercession for us. Do not be discouraged; keep climbing.

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go they merely determine where you start.”

Nido Qubein

Finish the race well…

Check out the poem inspired by this message on my other website…