Jesus Only: Part OneSample

Week 2, Day 5 - Thursday 

A View from the Mountaintop

In this week’s passage, we see in verse 11 that Paul encourages the Colossians by praying that they may have great endurance and patience. This is such a relevant prayer as fears, anxieties, and trials are so prevalent in this world. 

In 1948 the great Romanian Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned by Communists for leading an underground church movement of Romanians and Soviet soldiers. He lived in solitary confinement for 3 years. Having survived unspeakable torture, he is an example of someone who suffered greatly for Christ, with great endurance and patience. What was the secret to his ability to endure these horrific events?  

In his autobiography, In God’s Underground, he writes, “The prison years did not seem too long for me, for I discovered alone in my cell, that beyond belief and love there is a delight in God: a deep and extraordinary happiness that is like nothing in this world. And when I came out of jail, I was like someone who comes down from a mountaintop where he has seen for miles around the peace and beauty of the countryside, and now returns to the plain.”

From a mountaintop, we can see for miles. Wurmbrand uses this image to suggest that while he was in prison, he was able to view his life’s purpose more clearly, as if from a mountaintop. In prison, his present outlook was dim, yet God gave him an ability to view his present circumstances from the perspective of his final outcome – a life in deep communion with God for all eternity.

Most of us haven’t suffered persecutions to the degree that Wurmbrand or the early church faced. Yet, it is undeniable that we live in a world of great confusion and suffering. We especially see that now with the current (2020) health and economic crisis! We need all the endurance and patience that God will give us to get through the messes and hurts of our lives. Like Wurmbrand, when we are in the midst of struggles that make us weary or impatient, we can ask God to help us see our circumstance from a mountaintop view, being strengthened with God’s wisdom in our present moment and asking Him to deepen our understanding of His eternal plan and purpose for our lives.

Reflection Questions:

Spend some time looking at the mountain top picture below.  

How is the Holy Spirit speaking to you as you view life from the mountain top? 

What comfort do you experience, in your current difficult circumstances, when you see  God’s eternal view?

Where do you need God’s strength to have endurance and patience?

Are there areas in your life where God may be challenging you to see things from a different perspective?

Prayer: Thank You, God, for giving me a bigger perspective of my life as I spend time with You. Help me to turn to You for Your perspective of my struggles and sufferings. Thank You for giving me strength and perseverance for all my days as I live in the Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen.