PART 3
The light draws me, the hope on the other side.
I see shimmers through the tree branches—the exciting new growth finally evident after the agonizing wait—the tree I planted with tiny faith in the good soil of prayer and fasting. As the roots show the magnitude of their impact, mountains fall away. Large and looming, cold and impassable suddenly melt? Crumble?
I realize I don’t even care where they went or how they moved; I am mesmerized by the other side.
Is this how the Israelites felt when God allowed them to cross into their promised land? Even though there would still be giants to fight and battles to win, their hope was renewed by being aware of His presence and blessing.
I don’t know if physical mountains moved for you during this season of prayer and fasting or if spiritual mountains moved in the unseen. Some of us have dealt with internal battles and have found freedom from sin. Some of us, like my lady in chains, could finally see that Christ had already set us free! We were drowning because we desperately clung to those tangled, broken chains holding ourselves in bondage.
Some of us found His presence, recentered our chaos, and obeyed the command to ‘be still and know He is God.” Nothing in our physical world may have changed more than our posture.
Some of us asked for big things to move, new jobs, family restoration, marriages, and children. Some of us may still be clinging to a thin ray of hope and haven’t fully seen the other side of the mountain yet.
This third painting is called “Hope Ignited” because hope is there no matter where you are in the process or how tired or weary you are. There is a promised land for you, and Jesus calls you to join Him there. He has created beauty we can’t even imagine and added details with YOUR face in his mind. He loves surprises, and His creativity has no limits. He has a promised land experience waiting in Heaven but also here now. His land is peace and joy. His land has living water to quench our thirst and gentle pastures to restore our souls.
His land has adventures and immeasurable more than we can ask or imagine. I love to dream and ponder. I wonder if when I get to the edge of what I can picture, Creator God invents more and nudges me to come on and explore.
We don’t have to live in knots. We don’t have to settle for a mountain view. Life more abundant and free waits on the other side of each mountain that dares to set itself before one of God’s children. Dream with Him. Let Him inspire your desires. Let Him ignite your passions. Let Him show you what battles to fight and mountains to tear down. Let Him show you life beyond your comfort zone in His wild river of surrender. His burden is easy. His yoke is LIGHT. It’s not heavy, but what if that means it will also LIGHT YOU UP?
On the other side of the mountain, the water is clear and bright—cleansed by drops of His blood. The tree you planted in faith reproduces new trees because once you’ve experienced it, you can’t help but share that news, and discipleship happens.
Those trees are covered in fruit.
The rainbow decorates the sky to remind us to ponder His kingdom come and His return. Out of that longing, our hearts beat faster, and our purpose to go and make disciples will be unstoppable. Thank you, Jesus, that when we are brave, you blow us away and ignite HOPE!