Reflections at the Summit: A Place of Missed Opportunity

 

Reflections at the Summit

Week Four

A Summit of Missed Opportunity

Focus Text: Deuteronomy 34

Bible Reading: 2nd Timothy 1-4, Titus 1-3

      One of my fondest memories of growing up was playing little league.  I loved playing, but I wasn't particularly good at it.  I played for the giants. There used to be two fields in my little home town; a front field where the really talented kids played and a back field where the uncoordinated kids played.  I don't think I need to tell you which one I played on.  But once a year the back field teams were invited to come to the front field to play a night game under the big lights!  I vividly remember it being the last inning, bases were loaded, we were down by one run to the Astros, there were two outs, and I was up to bat.  You can't make this stuff up.  The butterflies in my stomach were sick to their stomachs.  I felt like Mighty Casey coming up to bat.  I held on tightly to my bat, waited for the first pitch and swung....foul ball.  The pitcher wound up and threw a second pitch that was also fouled off.  My heart raced as the pitcher released the third ball and I swung with all my heart.  My heart was in the swing, but nothing else was...I struck out....we lost the game.....I didn't just miss the ball but an opportunity.

      Our mountain summit today takes us to a place of missed opportunity.  Mount Pisgah, also known as Mount Nebo is famous because of the events that take place in Deuteronomy 34.  Here we find Moses, God's faithful servant for the past forty years standing at the pinnacle of Pisgah, glancing into the Promised Land.  Moses gets to see the land but he is forbidden by entering.  This is the place where Moses would die.  But what did Moses do that was so terrible to prevent him from entering the land of milk and honey?  In Deuteronomy 32 we find God telling Moses that he broke faith with him.  How did Moses break faith?  He broke faith with God at Meribah.  The people of Israel were thirsty and God directed Moses to speak to a rock and then the rock would spill forth water.  This was the opposite of how God opened the rock at Rephidim.  There God told Moses to strike the rock.  Moses came before the people in Numbers 18 and directly disobeyed God by striking the rock, not speaking to it.  Moses' single act of disobedience and desire to take the glory from God prevented him from entering the promised land. Tragically each of us have suffered through missed opportunities.  We missed the chance to witness with someone, to bless someone, to encourage someone, to serve the Lord, or develop spiritually.  But unlike Moses many of us are granted this very day another opportunity, another chance to pursue the Lord.  The Mount of Missed Opportunities is not a place for us to dwell in permanence, but only for a short period of time.  We merely set up tents of repentance at this summit, not homes of stone.  You might have missed an opportunity, but let that serve as a lesson so we do not make it a habit.  Make the most of every opportunity gifted to you.

Reflections on the Road:

Always be intentional with the opportunities that God gives you.  This week ask God to give you clear evidence of 'divine' opportunities and that you would make the most of them.

Reflections at the Summit: A Summit of Promise

 

Reflections at the Summit

Week One

A Summit of Promise

Focus Text: Genesis six-nine

Bible Reading: Philippians 2-Colossians 4

      A few years ago my family and I traveled to the Midwest for a family reunion.  This was my first time ever meeting my wife's 'midwest' family and it was also my first time traveling to the Midwest.  One of the most shocking things was the change of terrain.  I had lived my entire life surrounded by the gentle rolling mountains of the tri-state area, needless to say the Midwest is absent of mountains.  The landscape was eerily flat.  Cornfields went on and on and on without one tiny hill.  I could see a stop sign on the horizon that would literally take MINUTES to get to.  The change of scenery strangely made me feel uncomfortable.  The absence of mountains unnerved me.  The mountains bring about the fondest of memories of home and hearth.

      Some of the most powerful moments in the Bible have taken place at mountains.  We are going to start a new set of reflections looking at the important spiritual truths that are permanently tied to a mountain range.  Our first mountain range is Ararat.  This mountain is first mentioned in Genesis chapters 6-9.  The Bible makes it clear that spiritual darkness hung over humanity at the time.  Scripture shares that every thought and intent of man's heart was only evil continually.  The heart of man is always prone to sin because of our broken nature, but that particular time period seems to have been unique in it's bend to evil.  This mass wickedness broke the heart of God.  God, who is just, determined that He would wipe clean the face of the earth.  But one man found grace in the eyes of God, that man was named Noah.  Noah and his family were tasked with a seemingly impossible job, building an ark.  The ark would be a vessel for humanities salvation, if they choose to enter.  For 120 years Noah built and preached.  For 120 years man continued their downward spiral.  Finally God called Noah and his family to enter an ark filled with animals.  God shut the door and the clouds began to burst forth rain, the earth cracked springing forth more water.  It rained for 40 days and 40 nights.  The water covered the highest peak and wiped out all life.  As the water receded the ark rested on a mountain named Ararat.  Noah and his families journey on the ark lasted over a year!  

      Shortly after exiting the ark God made a promise with Noah.  We call this promise the Noahic covenant.  It is found in Genesis 9:12-17.  At the base of Ararat God promises Noah (and us) that He will never destroy the earth with a flood of water.  He guarantees His promise with the rainbow that is set in the sky.  God has kept that promise through the ages and will continue to keep that promise.  This promise to Noah is not the only one that God makes with mankind.  The Bible contains countless thousands of promises from the Lord, each of them geared toward us.  God's promises are abundant in number but they are also unbreakable in their nature.  They are sealed and bound by God's own Word.  God cannot break His Word and thus cannot break His promise.  His promises are unfailing and unending.  We have a God who is not just a promise maker but a great promise keeper.  When God says something we can believe it and claim it.  We have no reason to doubt Him, for He has never once failed.

Reflections on the Road:

Anxiety and stress lay at each corner of life.  It seems like it greets us as soon as we open our eyes.  This week allow God's promises to calm the anxiety of your heart.  Turn that anxiety to assurance, that worry to worship, that doubt to determination.  Rest in His unfailing promises to you.