It’s no secret, if you know me, you know I love the mountains: to climb, look at, rest upon, and in winter, slide down. Each time I drive by, or begin to climb, I recite these words:

“I lift up my eyes to wthe hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2).

The prophet Amos reminds us, “For behold, He who forms mountains … ” (Amos 4:13), that it is the Lord who forms the mountains, and therefore the valleys, even the bottomlands that result.

In forming the mountains, He knew exactly what He was doing. No mistakes, just grandeur.

Metaphorically, in the course of life and circumstance, we face challenges that we refer to as mountains and valleys. Messiah speaking in this way told us that faith can move those mountains, amen.

Over the years I have amplified this by explaining that God can take you over, under, or through the mountains of challenges; or, as I once wrote, “Sometimes the mountain moved by faith is you.”

Yet, there are also mountains appearing, seemingly on our horizon, that we create. At first the busyness of life seems to heap up before us; followed by fearful anticipation of what is on the other side of those heaps; until finally, our perspective becomes blocked by what we have imagined, and cannot control – the Himalayas of dread.

Still, Messiah said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34).

In this single verse is Messiah’s practical application of faith. Is there anyone who cannot relate to what He is saying?

Yet, it is preceded by the object of faith, that sufficiently prepares us to trust for the tomorrow we cannot control: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:33).

Him first, His righteousness, and what is necessary will be there, “Thy will be done.”

The mountains we make are formed from the circumstances and challenges we face. Except, without knowledge of the end, we cannot expertly form these mountains – which are not lasting.

They lack subtle definition that adds character to those mountains we look to in awe. Rather, all of our cares and concerns, when heaped up, look like a mountain of garbage. Have you ever seen one? Ugly things really.

The faith present in the celebration, is the same present in the bottomlands, way down deep in the most excruciating of times. The faith never changes, only how we experience it’s amplification in the midst of duress.

I’m learning, day by day, that the mountains He forms, natural and metaphorical, are formed perfectly to His design; and that there will either be a way over, at times requiring great exertion; or, a way around. We must faithful navigate either way.

We are easily overwhelmed by our mountains; but in faith, the One who made the mountains, the heavens and earth, overwhelms the myriad troubles before us, and becomes our help, our Yeshua, our Jesus.

Shabbat shalom.