The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

Wow. God never ceases to amaze me. He hears me, he watches me, he speaks to me. Check out this awesome story about some mountains......

I was reading my Bible this morning and my heart was stirred to read Hebrews 12:18-28. I didn't mean to stumble upon this chapter, I was actually going to read James. When I got to James, my page flicked back from a breeze and my eyes were drawn to this whole mountain story. I think the main thing that caught my eye was the Mountain of "Fear" since I recently confessed my great "fear of abandonment" as well as the fact that fear had been taking an ugly place in my new life that Christ has given me.

So I started reading....

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

 ¹⁸ You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; ¹⁹ to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, ²⁰ because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”^{[c] 21} The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”^{[d]  22} But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³ to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
 ²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”^{[e] 27} The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
 ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.”^[f]

I read this section a few times and prayed that God would help me understand what He wanted me to learn. It was clear as day. The only options for me, a woman from a broken family with many wounds, are FEAR or JOY. It is as simple as that.

So, option 1. The Mountain of Fear. Hmm.. This mountain is a terrifying place to be because "they could not bear what was commanded" at this mountain. It was too much. There is a great FEAR reigning on this mountain. Fear of inadequecy, fear of rejection, fear of failure. Perhaps the most terrifying thing about this mountain is that it "can be touched" meaning we as humans, can mess it up and screw it all up. Left up to our human failings, we find FEAR here because it is a mountain based on a performance level that we can not possibly "bear what is commanded" here.

For me, the Mountain of Fear is a place where I reside when I look at what is in front of me and then look at my own self and just think, "There is no way I can do this." This has been the place I have been in lately as I look at this amazing, Godly man set before me from God Himself, and then I look at myself.
It has been the place I retreat to when I feel the sting of rejection from my childhood that I thought was already gone. When little things happen to me in life that bring up feelings of rejection, I embrace it all too easily. I also retreat to this Mountain of Fear when something happens that for me triggers fear of abandonment. There is a great INSECURITY in this mountain. (If I screw something up, it will be over forever.)

Option 2. The Mountain of Joy. This mountain is where the Living God resides. It is where He wants you and I to reside with Him. There is JOY filling this mountain and overflowing. There is SECURITY on this mountain because the joy given to us is exactly that, it's GIVEN. We are learning how to receive on this mountain. We are receiving many blessings. We also find security in the fact that our names our written in the Book of Life. This mountain is God's for when you reside on this mountain, "you have come to the Living God". There is a newness on this mountain that reveals a new covenant to us that dispels all fear. There is a "better word" of hope that comes from living on this mountain. The best part of this mountain is that it "cannot be shaken". And because this mountain cannot be shaken: We are therefore thankful and at peace (secure), now able to worship God by trusting in Him as we show reverence and awe. We are now filled with security, peace, love, joy, trust, reverence, and awe. We are now pleasing to God as we live on this mountain of joy. For only then can we "worship God acceptably". 

 Funny how we get it backwards and think we should live on the mountain of Fear and strive to be good enough by trying hard in our own strength.

We may desire to be the perfect wife, friend, daughter, mother or sister and yet we may fail miserably. We must decide to live and reside on the Mountain of Joy and allow His sacrifice to cover us and therefore bring us security, peace, joy, love, trust, reverence and awe. When you first allow Jesus to be your joy and you have a reverent attitude out of a thankful heart for what HE has done for you, I assure you that you will be one step closer to living in freedom.

**This picture at the top was given to me today by one of my students right after God spoke all of this to me. My student said, "This is for you since you are getting married!" The students pointed to the black line and said, "That's the mountain you live on and that's your house." Wow. How much more could God be saying to me, "My daughter, here is my unshakable promise to you: you will live on my mountain of Joy with your husband and family and you will have NO FEAR but instead JOY and LOVE forever." I about lost it... God speaks so clearly!!!

 My prayer for you is that you will walk in the truth.... a Godly, woman has NO FEAR.

Proverbs 31:25 -  "She can laugh at the days to come."