Have you ever seen a mountain goat poised on the side of a craggy mountain? I have. On a trip to the mountains in Colorado, I noticed several goats along the way to the top of Pikes Peak. The goats were perched on shallow ledges on the mountainside, or on scattered rocks at the top. Around them trees snapped in half by the harsh cold winds. The air was cold and thin as I breathed it--yet the goats thrived in this environment.
The mountain goat has split hooves that wrap around the rocks it stands on, so its stance is secure. It has a long shaggy coat that allows it to stand winds of fifty miles an hour and temperatures of fifty below zero. How does this goat thrive in such an environment? The goat lives high in the mountains above its enemies, equipped for this environment. Specifically, God designed the goat for this environment.
Habakkuk 3:16 points out something interesting about God and us. God will equip you to live in “high places.” High places are big moments in life. They may be promotions, opportunities, or they may be traumatic tumultuous moments like finding out you have cancer or losing a job in a bad economy. In both cases, the challenge is big and public.
How does this look in life? President Barack Obama grew up without his father. He longed for that relationship. He was often the only Black student in his school. He learned how to thrive. He traveled the world and learned how to respect people different from him. He lost his first election. God used all these experiences to equip him for the presidency—for the highest position in the country.
God gives you what you need to not only survive but thrive! What He does for the mountain goat, He does for you. He will give you the strength to stand amid adversity, to stand in high winds, to perform with excellence in places others thought you would fail. He will make your feet like the deer’s feet! He equips us to tread upon the heights, to walk above the adversity. Be encouraged. God is equipping you for “mountaintop living!”
Prayer…
Lord, help us to see Your hand, Your power at work in our lives. Guide us through the experiences You use to shape us into who You designed us to be. We desire to have impact as we serve others. We desire to be all that You call us to be. We thank You for Your power at work in our lives. In Jesus’ name. men.