A few years ago when I was in Ecuador on a mission trip, our mission team played basketball against some nationals. We had some people on our team that were pretty good at basketball (I was not one of them). We played on one of our first days in the country and I had not adjusted to the altitude of Quito. Needless to say, I was sucking wind for a lot of the game and was wiped out afterwards. Playing 10,000 feet above sea level kicked my butt. The nationals on the other hand, looked like they hadn’t even played.
There are professional athletes use altitude training for a competitive advantage. They will spend time training in high elevations because the air is thinner and it causes their bodies to work harder. The goal is when they compete at lower altitudes, their body will be used to working harder and will be able to perform better than they typically would. Research been released that shows this advantage typically only lasts for 10-20 days.
Often in the Bible, people have an encounter with God on a mountain. Abraham went up a mountain to sacrifice his son and had an encounter with God (Genesis 22). God spoke to Moses multiple times on a mountain. God spoke to him as a burning bush and another time gave him the Ten Commandments (Exodus 3 & 34). The disciples witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain (Matthew 17). There are many times that the Bible tells us that Jesus went to the mountains to pray.
In these time, the people were prepared for what was to come. If they had not gone up to the mountains, they would not have been successful in their next steps. There have been many times in my life that I have wondered why I feel like I am at a road block, or why I am unsuccessful. The answer is always the same. Just like that basketball game in Ecuador, I haven’t been properly training. Those are always the times that my relationship with God is not where it should be. I haven’t prepared myself for the valleys by training in the mountains.
The most important thing I have to remember is that just like altitude training, the effect is going to wear off. If I don’t continually bring myself to places that I am encountering God, eventually He will not have any impact on my life. This isn’t as simple as reading a five minute devotional or saying a quick prayer. It is about making sure I get into the presence of God. Often in the Bible, God’s presence would appear as a cloud and completely surround the people (Exodus 34:5, Matthew 17:5). I’ve got to get to a place that I am immersed in God. Only then will I be ready for what is next.
until next time…