Have you ever thought that our lives are filled with mountains and valleys? These are the typical ups and downs of living. There are high points and low points. There are great days and bad days. We all have them.

Even the great days, the high points, the ups, the mountains have a down side. How we handle those mountains and valleys in our daily lives will determine who we are and the strength of our faith.

I have been thinking about some illustrations of this found in scripture. It didn’t take long to come up with several.

The first one that came to mind was Moses in Exodus 32. When Moses came to Mt. Sinai, God called him to go up to the top of the mountain. I can only imagine how Moses felt as he ascended that mountain, knowing that he would come in contact with the almighty God.

At the appointed time, God gave him the Ten Commandments and other laws; and Moses began his descent. He had to have felt “on top of the world” as he traveled downward to greet the people of God and share God’s gift with them. That is what you call a true mountaintop experience.

At the foot of the mountain he heard a noise, and there he found the people dancing, worshiping a golden calf, violating all that God instructed His people to do. This was a true “valley” experience.

Another mountain experience that comes to mind in found in Matthew 17. Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain and there He was transfigured (changed) in front of them.

These three disciples were able to see the Lord’s appearance changed, and they also saw Moses and Elijah standing with them. Don’t you know that they were excited to see men they had only read about standing in their presence?

Peter was so excited that he wanted them to make three tabernacles, one for Jesus and one each for Moses and Elijah. It took a voice from heaven to make Peter understand that Jesus was the one to be honored and not Moses and Elijah. His “mountain” turned to a “valley” very quickly.

The third example that comes to mind is found in Acts 17. Paul arrived in the city of Athens. There he encountered philosophers and worshipers of many strange gods.

Paul found an altar the Athenians had built to “The Unknown God.” Paul saw the results of their idol worship, and he spoke to them about the true God. Things were going well until he told them about the resurrection of the dead. Some were excited to hear that Jesus had risen from the dead and wanted to hear more, but others mocked him and wanted him gone. Paul’s mountaintop experience turned to a valley experience, and he had to leave.

Each day we experience both mountains and valleys. We have those days when everything goes well and we feel on top of the world. One word, one person, one action can change our mountain to a valley.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (KJV).

If we are obedient to God’s commands, everything (the mountains and the valleys) will work for good.

Sandra Oliver