Be Reconciled To God
A normal, good pace for me coming down Bear Mountain (which is faster than going up) is about 40 minutes from the summit to my house. I was still near the top and 40 minutes were already behind me. The first hour stretched slowly and painfully into the second, and I was still a long way from home. With my damaged and swollen foot, coming down the mountain was far more difficult than climbing up.
I was limping badly and had to carefully choose each step in the uneven snow. By the time 2 and a half hours were behind me, I had descended the last steep knoll and had only to walk a short distance through the forest. Ten minutes later I was walking into my yard and then removing my crampons. Only when I entered the house and removed my boots did I allow myself to celebrate.
Hours earlier I had HOPED that I could climb a mountain, now I KNEW that I could! It wasn't fast. It wasn't pretty. Every other person on the mountain that night could do it better... but none of that mattered. It reminds me of the first times that I shared my faith with other people. It wasn't fast or pretty and a lot of people could do it much better, but I cared enough about the people in front of me to stumble my way through.
I learned that I didn't have to know the Bible by heart. I didn't need theological training. I simply needed to tell people what Jesus had done for me. Don't worry about being the best, just be determined to be faithful. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf- be reconciled to God!" Now THAT'S a mountain worth climbing! Be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on December 4, 2025
Posted in Daily Devotions