Merriwether Lewis and William Clark set out in 1804 to explore the unchartered land west of the Mississippi River. Along with the other members of the Corps of Discovery, they were seeking to find an extended waterway to the Pacific Ocean. 

Instead of discovering a navigable trade route, do you know what they encountered? The Rocky Mountains. 

One member of the team described them as, “the most terrible mountains I ever beheld.” 

The journey behind them had been fraught with challenges, and now they realized the journey ahead was going to be even more demanding. It’s hard to imagine how they must’ve felt. 

Though we’ve never trekked across the American frontier, we do know what it’s like to face daunting, unexpected challenges. And just when we think our journey might get easier, life brings mountain-like obstacles we never saw coming. 

We can’t avoid them.  

We can’t go around them. 

We have no choice but to go through them.  

So what do we do when we find ourselves traveling through mountains of adversity? The Apostle Peter has good news: We have everything we need for the journey (2 Peter 1:3). 

(Notice that Peter doesn’t say the road will be easy; he says we have all that is required along the way.) 

The journey begins when we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord and it ends when He calls us home to be with Him. In the meantime, the Lord hasn’t forgotten to pack something for our trip. Peter assures us that we lack nothing for our time on Earth.  

The key is tapping into the “power” of God within us. In and of ourselves, we don’t have what it takes.  We must confess our weakness and perpetually depend on His power. This power is meant to sustain us every step of life’s unpredictable journey. 

The Greek word for power is, ‘dynameos.’ It’s where we get our word, ‘dynamite.’ If you are a child of God, you have Divine Dynamite within you. The Apostle Paul says this power is an “incomparably great power” likened to the power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19).  

The power enables us to live a “godly life.” This is not a life that is self-centered or self-serving. A godly life reflects God’s character, passionately pursues His agenda, and lives for His glory. We should never use the mountains of hardship as an excuse for failing to live a godly life. No matter what comes our way, we are to stay the course and remain devoted to Him.

Tell the Lord that you need His power through the formidable challenges ahead. He longs to not only be your Strength but your Guide. Rest assured, He hasn’t brought you this far only to abandon you.    

Lewis and Clark made it through their mountains.  

Relying on God’s power, you will, too.  

 

 Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director of RFTH