If Grandma Whitney can conquer a mountain, you can too!
Hulda Crooks got her nickname, Grandma Whitney, by climbing the 14,500-foot Mount Whitney in California -- twenty-three times! The last time she reached the summit she was eighty-nine. At ninety-one she scaled Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak.
Wouldn’t it be great to have Grandma Whitney’s conquering spirit for every mountain we face. I'm talking about those grand summits of life we must all traverse: Pity's Peak, Temptation's Cliff, Heartache Hill, The Dome of Doubt, and Frustration Ridge.
Hey, if you've lost your pioneer spirit . . . if you are tired of walking uphill . . . if you are feeling fatigued, frustrated, or ready to quit . . . you need Psalm 121.
I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you. The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. (Psalm 121:1-5 NLT)
Psalm 121 is a pilgrim song. It was one of the songs believers in God sang as they journeyed to the great feasts in Jerusalem. Travelers approaching Jerusalem looked up to the mountains and asked the rhetorical question, “Does my help come from there?” It is a question we must learn to ask.
Today, take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Does my help come from there?" Pull out your wallet or purse and ask, "Does my help come from there?" Reflect on some of your strongest relationships and ask, "Does my help ultimately come from them?" Like the pilgrims of old, you will find yourself saying, “No!” For you know that the real strength to scale life's toughest peaks comes from God. Only the One strong enough to make heaven and earth is strong enough to always help. Only the One who never tires or sleeps is always able to watch over you.
Yes, you can climb with a conquering spirit when you lean on the LORD for help.
______________ Photo Credit Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:01520008.jpg