The Mountain

'Jesus went up into a mountain . . .'

the lord's love is like a mountain. It is high above all the things of merely worldly concern. If we make the Lord our chief delight we shall have a spiritual mountain within us.

This natural world is made more beautiful by the mountains, and they serve a great use to all below. We climb their slopes and enjoy the invigorating air, and love the view.

It is much the same with the mountains of the Lord's Word, but these reveal greater wonder and still more majestic scenery. They are composed of the Lord's love and wisdom. To climb them only a little way is to come into new wonder and surprise; and to enjoy visions of delight beyond anything we could imagine. Our lower natural life depends on them in everything.

Jesus going up into a mountain, is really a picture of His presence in a higher sphere, from which He tells us the blessings of His Kingdom. We climb the mountains when we read the Word and seriously try to understand His teaching. We go still higher when we begin to do what we learn. We say 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating', likewise the proof of the wonder of the teaching of Jesus is in the keeping.

If we would like to live on these mountains, rather than in the lowlands we can do so. It means keeping the first great commandment: loving Jesus and receiving His love. It is difficult at first, just as climbing natural mountains is, but the reward is far greater than all the cost.

We can even have a mountain of the Lord in our own hearts. Every bit of love for Him, and every truth of His we live, helps to build a spiritual mountain in our souls.

prayer

'O Lord help me to lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help' (Psalm 121,1)

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