Exodus 20:21: "And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was."
It is so much easier to view mountains from a distance. Many like to view mountains in movies or photographs in a book and this is the way many Christians view God's mountain. However, only those who put climbing boots on their feet and resolve in their hearts to conquer God's mountain will have a real living testimony to talk about. The great benefits of God's heavenly Mt. Zion are only experienced by those who actually climb it.
Moses was not content to stay the bottom of Mt. Sinai even when it was on fire with "the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumplet, and the mountain smoking." When God called him to come up, he faced the challenge and climbed up to meet with God, but the people stood afar off (Exodus 20:18-21).
There are too many Christians standing afar off. Positionally God has raised us up and seated us all together with Christ at the Father's right hand in the heavenly places. This is the mountain of mountains, the highest of all. This is the Everest of all mountains. God has not only called us up, but He has legally placed us on a throne in Christ with our name upon it. The difficulty that we face is the will, the courage, and the faith to personally position ourselves in our legal inheritance. This is the battle and this is the challenge.
Fathers, I think it would be a good exercise when your children are old enough to take them on a mountain climb. Climb it together and talk about the comparison and the lessons to be learned.
The city of God is seen from the top of the mountain. Revelation 21:10 says: "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell