God on the Mountain

I cheated on my devotion this morning. I read ahead. Our scripture was in Matthew 4, verses 1-11. Instead of stopping there, I finished the chapter and continued reading into chapter 5. It was there I met God on a mountain. In Chapter 4, we hear how Jesus was taken to the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days. During that time, Satan took him to the top of the temple and, in essence, mocked Him and His Father - "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down." He even quoted scripture to him, "for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning this: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." When that approach didn’t work, the devil tried again, this time taking Jesus to "an exceeding high mountain." He offered to give him "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." Jesus is more bold in his rebuttal, even calling him out by name, "Get thee hence, Satan." "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." On the very next page, a mere 15 verses later, Jesus is again on a mountain. The Bible doesn’t say how high the mountain is, only that "he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came to him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them."  This leads me to think Jesus was at least high enough that "the multitude" could see him and listen to His profound words. No doubt the crowd that Jesus saw from His position on this mountain was far greater than the view presented by the devil just a short time earlier. How many times has the devil tempted me with what appeared to be a high point in my life, showing me all that could be mine? "Work is coming in, your bills are paid. You've got it made. You can afford this." How many times have I believed him, only to end up crashing to the ground? Too many times. I have also had those occasions when I have been strong. Times when I didn't give in to the devil and his temptations. And I have been better off for it. No I didn’t get the shiny new thing I (thought) I wanted, or I didn't get to do what I (thought) I wanted to do, but I had faith to believe that God knew what I needed more than I did. Following my "stand" against the devil, I often find myself again on a mountain. This time I won't not see glorious kingdoms at my feet. I may only see dirty floors and piles of bills. But God sees the bigger picture. I'm where He wants me. This is where He can use me. He gives me the strength and ability to resist the devil, and He gives me the words to be able to share my testimony with you. Jesus had His sermon to give on the mount. He spoke the beatitudes and parables and performed miracles before thousands upon thousands. Maybe the best message I can give is with simple words found while standing over mounds of laundry. I may never be on "an exceeding high mountain," but I'm excited about where God will lead me. Whether it be on a mountain or in the wilderness, I know He'll be there. Not with mocking or vain illusions, but with the promise of His provision, everlasting love and eternal life.