Mountain Messages
100 devotions from the mountains of the Bible
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Make Your Days Count
Psalm 90:1-2
"Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”
This psalm of Moses is likely the oldest of the psalms (Walvoord and Zuck). The author of the creation story (Genesis 1) now asserts that the eternal Lord God has been our dwelling place (hiding place; refuge) since time began. He was, is, and will always be. He is timeless, omnipresent and all-powerful. He is able and can be trusted to take care of all our days.
Our response to this truth of our human frailty and God’s eternal character is to COUNT OUR DAYS.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” Verse 12
In fact, no less than 5 times are the days of our lives mentioned in Psalm 90:
> “For all our days have declined….we have finished our years like a sigh” v.9
> “As for the days of our lives….. For soon it is gone and we fly away.” v. 10
> “So teach us to number our days…” v. 12
> “... that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” v. 14
> “Make us glad according to the days Thou hast afflicted us.” v. 15
In light of eternity, our walk on earth is less than a pencil width on the timeline. So, doesn’t it make sense to invest our time here on things that matter eternally? Step one is to recognize that this life’s offerings are temporary and fleeting; gone in the blink of an eye. May our time be an offering to God – a living and holy sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1).
Another element of making the most of our time here is WORK. Note what Moses said about this subject as a closing:
“Let Thy work appear to Thy servants, And Thy majesty to their children. And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And do confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes confirm the work of our hands.” It is very satisfying to watch God’s work in our lives. We come to know Him more closely and praise His name. After which we are more motivated to work for His glory and rely on His favor to bless our work. Some translate the “confirm” the work of our hands as “give permanence” to our work – very appropriate in light of eternity!
Lord, teach us to number our days and give us favor to make our work eternally significant.
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About the Book
Mountains are spectacular, picturesque and common subjects in art and literature. Even the authors of the Bible were enamored with the mountains. The Middle East is not quite so famous for its mountains but the Bible contains over 542 references to mountains! They are quite common as figurative symbols in literature as well as specific key geographic locations. The Bible begins with the creation account (first mention of mountains in Genesis 7) and ends with Revelation with Christ’s return where He is standing on the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem. Famous and well-known events are recorded at specific mountain sites such as Mount Ararat, Carmel, or Mount Sinai. Then there are mentions of obscure mountains like Mount Zemaraim or Perazim where notable meetings or battles or events occurred. Mountains can also be used to represent features or characteristics such as obstacles or the permanence/steadfastness/immovable nature of something, or national governments and kingdoms.
This devotional book is a look at 100 mountain passages in the Bible. It is not a complete study of the mountains in the Bible. It is not a book on geography, geology, or archaeology. The real purpose of these devotions is to learn how mountains were a significant part of the Biblical landscape and what they can teach us about God and His character. Instead of merely looking at their physical beauty, we can look at them and recall God’s beauty, His character and most of all His love for us. My prayer is that this will lead you to praise His name – with all creation and with all you got!
About the Author
Don Harville has a Masters degree in Geology from Texas A&M University and an MBA from LeTourneau University. Most of his 30-year career was spent as a Research Geologist and Geological/Lab Manager in the oil and gas industry. He has published and presented over 20 papers spanning topics from potash ore deposits to infrared spectroscopy. Blessed to be currently residing in the Rockies, his love for mountains and Scripture inspired him to write this book.