Kids & Family
My Father Owns the Mountain
If we find ourselves in life where it seems all is dried up, it is easy to feel resentful, abandoned, or no longer loved.
I heard a story of two teens who arrived at summer camp at the same time. They were forced to share bunks. One girl was a brat who introduced herself by saying, “Hey, there. I come here every summer because my daddy owns part of this property. Do you see that speedboat on the lake? My daddy owns that boat. Do you see that mansion on the side of the mountain? My daddy stays there when he comes to visit me.”
Looking at the other camper, she asks in a condescending tone, “So, who’s your daddy?”
She smiled and lifted her dejected head. With a twinkle in her eye, she replied, “Do you see that large lake that your daddy’s boat is in? My Father created that lake. And you know that mountain your daddy’s cabin is on? My Father owns that mountain.”
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By focusing on the provision, we can become like the bratty girl and forget the One who provides. We can come to love the provision more than the provider. The safety becomes more important than the obedience. The comfort sounds better than the responsibility.
Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, was led to a ravine after foretelling a drought that would devastate the land. At the ravine, God promised to provide for the prophet. In the morning and in the evening, ravens would bring him meat and bread. The small ravine would provide him with water. One day, the ravine dried up. No more water.
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If we find ourselves in life where it seems all is dried up, it is easy to feel resentful, abandoned, or no longer loved. This is especially true if our focus has been on the provision and not the Provider. It is in those dry places that we must be “persuaded that God has power to do what God has promised” (Romans 4:21). It is worth remembering that sometimes God guides by what God does not provide. It does not mean that God is not taking care of us. It just means the creek has dried up and it is time to move on. In those seasons of our life, we must trust in Jesus who promises “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you” (John 7:37-38).
(Originally published at www.jameyprickett.com)
