Go up the Mountain

I was a criminal on the run. In the middle of the night, when things seemed darkest, a strong vehicle like a Hummer brought me to the mountain. It was steep and impossible, but I was brought directly to the very top of the mountain.

However, for all the safety atop the mountain, I was loathe to linger there. I wandered down into the foothills, and ambled between there and the lowlands of sin, the urban place from whence I came. I found struggle in this condition, and was brought back to the mountain. I had a new master there.

He had a work for me which I did not want to do, and I only laboured for him a little before returning from whence I came. He would have me work daily, bringing out the many plastic tubs, empty vessels, which he needed brought out to be filled with bread as part of his work. The vessels also needed to be brought back in come evening.

There was also the work of climbing up the mountain. It was difficult, and I often didn’t make it to the peak of the mountain. It wasn’t that I lacked the ability, but the willingness to persevere, to keep going until I reached the top of the mountain where the master dwells. I saw him as strong, tough, and unforgiving, and did not desire to be with him.

I got into trouble again, and could not help myself. I came to realise that I needed the master’s help. Returning to the mountain, I spoke with him about what was going on. I was made to understand that all my problems would go away if I would only go up the mountain every day and labour for him as he called me to. Further, I was given an opportunity to return in time, and do things different with the knowledge of the experience I had. It sounded too good to be true, but it was given to me. The master forgave exactly as if I had never spurned his care.

Armed with this knowledge, I came again to the mountain as at the first, but this time I lingered there. I laboured for the master, I did not wander down into the world below, and I worked to build up the mountain. Though I was in continual activity, it burdened me not. This yoke was indeed easy. Oh to dwell with our Lord and reach the summit of His presence each day!

From the start, I knew there was something spiritual about the top of this mountain, for there was a temple there. It looked a little like a Buddhist temple, but there was no Buddha there, no idol, but the master. I know this represents true Christian meditation; to be still, calm, to pause from the concerns of the world, and to know God, to spend intimate, affectionate time with Him. It is to meditate on whatsoever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. It is to treasure His word in our heart and fix our mind upon heavenly things as we abide in Christ and His words in us.