Devotionals

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My Mountain Top Experience

Colorado
I just returned from my first trip out West, to the Wilds of the Rockies. It is a Christian camp for teens. A week full of the wilderness, spiritual examination, and lots of fun and exciting things to do. No phones, no TV's no gameboy's, no housework, laundry, office work!!! They have an evangelist that speaks to them Twice a day for chapel, and then a "seminars" in between. They have organized games for them, horseback riding, boating, fishing, big water slides and a lot of fun things. They balance out the fun with the spiritual focus!! My youth pastor said to me once, "Never let the arm of correction be longer than the arm of love". This was truly the balance I seen in this camp.

Many years I have sat in my congregation hearing the testimonies of the teens. Most of the time crying because the testimonies were so humble and seemed like life-changing decisions they made. I would sit and think "I just want to go and give a testimony about there testimonies" Wait, better yet, I want to go to camp, I am not a teenager, but I need whatever they got!!!" Now I have not been a teenager for quite some years, (Well actually it hasn't been THAT long ago!!) And my children will not be teenagers, because that would mean I was getting older!! However time does come and go, My children are teenagers and the Lord is faithful to give us the desires of our hearts! So I am truly thankful to the Lord for allowing me this opportunity to go.

As I was preparing for my trip to Colorado, I prayed for a focus. Where should I focus my spiritual life on as I go to this "Christian Camp"?
Prayer was what my plan ended up being. I knew I needed to better my prayer life!!
So I took about 6 or 7 small books by big authors like C.H. Spurgeon, Andrew Murray W.E. Weirbese. I was going to read to my hearts content about prayer. And, of course my bible. That is where the real master of prayer teaches the most!!! I even found a notebook entitled "My Prayer Journal".

As we approached the mountains, the fear I had of them returned!! It is not really the mountains I am fearful of it is actually the fact that going up a mountain means there is a "going" down and it is the fear if heights I have. You see, on a roller coaster, if you close your eyes it is a wonderful experience. But of course they only last a few short minutes. Not so when you are going up a mountain. I recalled the couple from church before we pulled out encouraging me to "face my fears"!!! I told them "I am facing them, with my eyes closed, after all, the bible says, "walk by faith, not by sight!!!!!" Of course since I was driving at some point I would have to open my eyes!!!
So as we approached the mountains and I could see the long drops too close the road, I asked myself as I was closing my eyes and missing the most obvious signs of God's creation, "How can I be afraid of what God has made?" Realizing I was only looking at the fear and missing the majesty of His creation, I decided to look up some verses on mountains with a few of the teen girls. We found it quite interesting of how in two accounts the mountains were used to show the glory of the Lord. In Exodus, Moses went up and spent time with the Lord and seen His glory so much so that the radiance stayed on His face. When he came down the people were afraid to look at him due to the shining of his face. So I began to pray that this would be a reality for me. As I go to this "mountain" that God would reveal His glory to me that I would reflect His glory in my own life. I am not Moses in any way, but God is God in every way and His glory is the same today as it was that day on the mountain!!! Little did I realize how God can use our biggest fears to reveal our greatest need!!

I still had a plan of learning to pray; surely God would be glorified if I would learn to be a fervent prayer warrior!!! The first morning there, there I sat, facing the most beautiful set of mountains overlooking the lake with the sun coming up, opening my bible and my heart to the Lord to teach me about prayer. But to no avail, the distractions came; my concentration was such a discouragement. After some time I realized this was not going to be the time to do start my big quest on prayer. So I packed up and went to breakfast. And then onto some of the daily activities.

It did not take me long to realize my focus would not be prayer, but God's glory. This camp made it very obvious that the focus and goal was to "glorify God in all things" At meals, we recited 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God."
Then at game point tallying time, I heard "Do all for the glory of God". And many, many other times this was mentioned.
Then in our first Sponsor session, the leader spoke on the pre-imminence of God.
He mentioned of how we can miss the obvious. For me the greatest impact this lesson had on me was the fact that I do serve God diligently and try to give Him my best. I am obedient in my ministries to the best I can, but I have missed the obvious. Am I doing it all for His glory, or just out of duty!! Out of obedience, which I realize is not a bad thing. But when we begin to do things out of "duty" or just because it is what we are supposed to do, we can not only "lose our joy" or "become weary in well doing" but we miss the obvious. That "whatsoever we do, do all for the glory of God". Our purpose is to glorify Him:
Isaiah 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.
Our lives should reflect His glory in all that we do:
Confession (You're right God and I am wrong)
Joshua 7:19 and Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD, God of Israel, and make confession unto Him; and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from me.
Confession of Lordship (You are God and I am not)
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Praise (You deserve the credit, not me)
Psalm 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Consecrated life (I am consumed with you, not with me)
1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price' therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's
Using gifts/being faithful (Your talents, not mine)
1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God' if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever,


Healing (Your mercy on me, not my "luck")
Luke 17:18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
Righteousness/humility (Your way is right, not mine)
John 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory' but he that seeketh HIS glory that sent him, The same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Trials/suffering/sickness (Your plan, not mine)
Isaiah 24:15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Death of Christ (Your payment, not my works)
John 21:19 This spake He, signifying by what death He should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He saith unto Him, Follow me.
Just going through these few verses which talk on the "glory of God", causes me to realize just how much of the obvious I have missed.

Then in this session the statement was made that "When you vision steps leading to the throne, who, when you look up at the throne is sitting there, is it you, or God?"
Of course we would all like to say God and maybe we even think it is, but when you really begin to examine you life closely, there are times when God is not the one sitting there, at time yes, but at times it is me, myself, and I. This was so convicting for me to think about. I have to start envisioning Christ being on that throne because that is where He belongs. Not me, myself, or I. It is amazing to me that not too long ago; I questioned "should I do these things if I have the wrong motive?" and someone told me, yes, let God deal with the motives! And that He has! He should have pre-imminence in all I do. I should be going before Him and asking Him and putting Him first in everything, and as the leader said, "Is it easier for you to go and ask permission…or forgiveness" If I am going to the Lord first for permission, I will not be asking for forgiveness after the fact!!!

After I got home from my trip and recuperating, I decided for my devotions I would go through the copy of the leaders notes and all the verses he referenced and realized my problem may not be "not enough prayer", it may be that I did not realize how important this is to glorify God in all I do. Then of course the verses about how the Lord feels about NOT getting the glory was really hard to swallow:
Jeremiah 13:16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause the darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness.
And then the verses on how he feels about sharing His glory!! OUCH. Isaiah 48:11 For mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be polluted? And I will not give y glory to another.
I am so thankful for this Holy Spirits work in my life to show me the obvious!!! Glorify Him in all I do. I have made the decision to focus on how, in my life, can I do all for the glory of God? It should not be amazing to me, but it was. A few days into the study and I found a book in my rather large library of books that I had borrowed from someone called "To Glorify God" and what a "coincidence", it is all about doing everything for His glory right down to the very thoughts we think!!! I have had great devotions and am working on meditating and memorizing scriptures about what I "think" on, which is His word. His word is truth, and my own thoughts are not always. Philippians says to think on what is true…right…just…lovely…of good report. If I am to glorify Him in all I do, it should start with my thoughts.
God has been so faithful to show me many things these last few weeks. As I continued to obey and fulfill my duties as His servant, I had to leave the motives for Him to deal with and He faithfully has. He has showed me that when I desire to do His will (go to a Christian camp, pray, serve Him). That it may not be the way I plan, but all in His time He will give me the desires of my heart. He has taught me that if I focus and make a conscious effort to glorify Him, that even in my thoughts I can bring Him glory.
As Moses sought out God's glory, God was faithful to shew him
Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory,
Psalms 63:1 & 2O God, You are my God; early will I seek you; My soul thirst for You My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirst land Where there is no water. To see they power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
God is truly faithful to those who seek after what He has for us.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether ye eat or drink, whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God.
Lisa Smith

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