Mountain Top Experience
- Lisa Livezey
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 26
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” —Isaiah 52:7 NAB
Okay, I'll admit it. I drove up the mountain to get this photo. But what spurred my ascent was the desire to cheer on my son who was competing in a triathlon which finished with a run up the mountain!
Ascending a mountain on foot requires muscle, grit, and sweat. But when we reach the top, we have a story to tell!
The early church fathers used muscle, grit, sweat, blood, and tears to lead the way for Christians today. Most of us can easily drive to church to worship or open a Bible to read God's word for a mountaintop experience. I for one, am grateful to those who sacrificed their reputations and lives to make this possible.
Standing atop the mountain of Christian faith, we can proclaim that God indeed is king and can recognize those who led the way. We can look out upon the vistas afar, and wonder what might come next. Hard climbing may be in our future, but we can trust that God will continue to make His message known through the ages.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for those who blazed the trail for us. Thank you, also, for considering my feet beautiful as I journey forth today. Give me a voice to share Your good news no matter where I find myself.
Quote
Faith of the martyrs, living still In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
oh, how our hearts beat high with joy whene'er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of the martyrs, holy faith;
we will be true to thee till death.*
—Frederick William Faber (1814-1863)
Thought
God is faithful to us both during the arduous climb up a mountain and in our joy at the summit.
Question
Is there a specific person that I appreciate in church history who helped further the gospel in a significant way?
PRAY to quiet your heart
READ through the devotion
IMMERSE yourself in the picture
SELECT a phrase to repeat
MARK down your divine insight
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” —Isaiah 52:7 NAB
* Frederick William Faber, “Faith of Our Fathers,” in Jesus and Mary (London: 1849), stanza 1.
Interested in knowing where I took the above photo and who the person is that we see standing and looking out upon the vistas? Find out on my Facebook page, and while there give a friendly follow!
This past weekend I had the joy of serving as one of the speakers at a retreat for caregivers in Lancaster, PA, sponsored by the ECW (Episcopal Church Women) of St Andrews. We spoke about God's provision within the C.A.R.E.S. of caregiving. I will be keeping these incredible women in prayer as they continue to provide care for their loved ones.
~ For the caregiver you know: Minding Mom: A Caregiver's Devotional Story
I appreciate how Lisa spends the time to write these heartfelt devotions.
Am I allowed to name three from Church history? Jerome of Stridon (c. 342-420 AD) was an early Christian theologian, priest, and historian who translated the Bible into Latin (known today as the Vulgate) and also wrote commentaries on the whole Bible. From there the monks of the Middle Ages who painstakingly, in freezing cold scieriums (writing rooms in monasteries) dedicated their lives to the copying of the scriptures. And then, Johannes Gutenberg (1393-1406), who used his printing press innovation to print the first Bible, known today as the Gutenberg Bible. Thank you, St. Jerome, all the holy monks and martyrs, and Johannes Gutenberg!
We all have personal mountains to climb—a difficult or sick child, a challenging spouse, a toxic workplace or our own past traumas. Our Shepherd is with us, leading us and supplying for each need. What a loving, forgiving, faithful Father we have.