9/9/17, Mount Sentinel, Montana

Hiking up Mount Sentinel

The more I grow in my relationship with Christ the more I find a need to be alone with Him in a solitary place to feed on the Bread of Life, especially in the midst of heartache. I decided to follow Jesus's example that can be found in Mark 6:46 and go up a mountain to pray. With Mount Sentinel only being a minute walk away from my college dorm, it was a good way to knock out two birds with one stone by hiking the entirety of the mountain for the first time and finding a secluded place to meditate on God's word.

On my way up, I passed by a large open section filled with soft grass. I could picture Jesus sitting in the grass with His disciples and having the crowds of people around Him sit down as well. Just before this miracle that would be the feeding of the 5,000 it was reported to Jesus that His cousin John the Baptist had been beheaded. It says in Matthew 14:13, "When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns." Jesus was stricken with grief in that moment and He did what most of us do when our hearts ache, but His response to the crowds is set apart from that of the average individual. Mark 6:34 says, "So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things." He still felt enough love for the people to care for them despite the state of despair He was in. Jesus saw the need of the people above His own. It can be hard to love people when your anger is being built up towards them, but it's even harder to love others, when you feel like you don't have any love to give. Glory be to God that His love is forever faithful, never failing and continually greater than our own.

After these thoughts, I continued my way up the mountain. The hike grew steeper and my legs felt more weary with every step. I began to ponder if hiking the whole mountain to spend some time in God's word was worth it. All the spots of shade I passed on my way up started to look like more appealing places to stop and pull out my Bible. I could of just stopped at any one of those shaded areas with rocks shaped into perfect seats, but if I did I knew I would be settling for less than what this mountain had to offer. I knew I couldn't stop, but I also needed strength to keep going. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me." Every now and then climbing the mountain, I would hit a flat spot that would relieve the pressure on my calves. Each time I hit one of these spots I recovered just enough strength to keep going. The grace of God is sufficient for us to keep us moving forward, to not pull out of the race early and to reach the end.

At the top I found a smooth rock and laid my back against it. I drank a couple sips from my camel pack, pulled out my Bible and opened it up. I can't remember exactly what I turned to or how long I spent reading through my Bible, but I remember being full of delight as I looked across everything in Missoula. I peaked down the mountain and could see all God brought me through. I could see the beginning of my journey that started with a young man who was trying to find a place to escape to and how that morphed into a way for God to show me His free gift of grace and compassion. As a painting reflects the emotions of an artist, so creation reflects the glory of God.