Firm Footing on Mountain Paths

Yes, I know it's been a long time. July has come and gone and not without a little sweat and tears. But I'm not complaining. I've been dealing with some extremely difficult issues at work. And today, as I read my passage in Streams in the Desert, I was comforted and encouraged by what seemed to be written just for me.

The scripture reference was Isaiah 49:11, "I will turn all my mountains into roads." These are the words of God. If you read the entire chapter, God is telling us that he is compassionate and that he will use all the difficulties we face- all the mountains- as roads- as paths to a place he has created for us. A place that is by the choicest streams. A place where we are free and safe and comforted and loved. Who wouldn't want to go there? And God's purpose in all of this? To form us and use us to reconnect the people with him (Isaiah 49:9) So in this passage where God is talking about making paths out of mountains, he's talking to believers.

He's not saying he's going to make everything peachy. He's saying he's going to mold us and make us into someone he can use. The wise thing to do would be to work with him on the project. To stop fighting the mountain and to trust his compassion and walk the path he has placed before us. And we don't even have to walk the path blindly, wondering what on earth he might have up his sleeve. In 2 Peter, he's quite clear on what it is he's desiring to create in each of us:

-Basic faith
-Good character
-Spiritual understanding
-Alert discipline
-Passionate patience
-Reverent wonder
-Warm friendliness
-Generous love

This is the child he can use to "reconnect the people" to himself. I need not ask God to remove these difficulties in my life. What I need to do is to see how they help create these qualities in me- to encourage my growth- so that as I walk that mountain path it will be a paved road- my feet on firm footing- and I might draw others to Him and our joy will be complete.