The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain…” (Exodus‬ ‭24:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

I recall hiking up a mountain with a group of friends, and I distinctly remember how difficult it was because I was slothfully out of shape.  A couple of guys have been on the trail before, so they served as our tour guides. Along the hike my legs were getting heavier and I was breathing harder because the air was thinning.  There were moments when I had to rest and heave to catch my breath. As my heart pounded to the top of my head I wondered when this journey would finally end. But as soon as we reached the top, a magnificent panoramic view was joyfully met with physical relief. Ah! We made it! This was the grand vista that we all wanted to see!

Similarly, our walk with the Lord is an uphill challenge.  There will be twists, turns, and occasional steep paths, but the trail will always lead upwards.  Traveling with a group of friends makes for a safer journey because they can catch us if we fall. When we want to quit, our companions can encourage us to keep climbing and offer a hand to push us forward.  

There will be a moment when we will take that final step towards our destination. We will be able to say, “Wow! This was a worthwhile journey!”  God will reveal the big picture and everything we experienced will all make sense.