In my younger days I did a lot of hiking. I have walked into some pretty deep valleys, but when I looked down into Grand Canyon, I said, "No way!" I have been to the top of Half Dome and El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, and I climbed to the top of Mt Whitney, but when I saw pictures of Mt. Everest, I said, "No way!" I have seen rivers that I wouldn’t want to cross without a bridge. A person needs to know his limitations, and I realize that there are feats of physical endurance and skill that are beyond my capabilities.
However, I admire those individuals who bravely and successfully perform such exploits. I am reminded of Sir Edmund Hillary's answer to the question of why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest. He replied, "Because it's there." I guess that is why I climbed Mt. Whitney.
Sometimes God places obstacles in our path to test and strengthen our faith. The road ahead my seem uncertain and the way wearisome and even seemingly impossible, but we must have the faith to persevere and strive toward the mark that God has set before us. We must not look back nor look down, but upward, and grasp the hand of God by faith.
I am reminded of a song by Jane Rowe entitled, 'Lord, I cannot.'
"Lord, I cannot walk that valley it's too deep, "Lord, I cannot walk that valley hear me weep; But with sure and measured tread In His footsteps I was led. With His presence ne’er a valley was too steep.""Lord, I cannot climb that mountain it's too high, Lord, I cannot climb that mountain was my sigh; But His quiet strength prevailed As the heights we surely scaled, And I felt that heav'n itself was very nigh."
"Lord, I cannot cross that river it's too wide; Lord, I cannot cross that river this I cried; But He took me by the hand, And we crossed to promised land.
What assurance with the Savior by my side."
When the children of Israel entered the promised land, each tribe except the Levites was assigned a portion as their inheritance. Most of them claimed the fertile valley where the soil was rich and there was an abundance of water. However Caleb, who was one of the two survivors of the forty year trek in the wilderness, requested the land of the giant Anakims for his portion. He was confident, that with God’s help, he could conquer the giants that lived in the mountains, and he requested God to "give me this mountain." Similarly, when we face valleys or mountains or rivers of difficulty in our lives, we should trust God as did good old Caleb and say, "give me this mountain."
