O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.
Mountain living means staying on the right trail.
A lot of people forget that Mt. St. Helen's is still an active volcano. What does that mean? It means that at any given moment, without warning, it could erupt. The big eruption in 1980 came with a lot of warning. Earthquakes were shaking the area. Steam was rising from the top. Rumbles could be heard. There were a lot of signs indicating that this thing was about to blow. I remember when we were taking our hike seeing little puffs of steam around the top. There was a lot of argument as to whether it was steam or clouds. I am convinced it was steam, and I am sticking to that story.
There were several signs along our hike that constantly told us to stay on the trail. Going up any closer to the lava domes is a very dangerous hike. There are caves that are formed from the melting glaciers around the inside of the volcano. The lava/water heat/cold mix produces some scalding conditions, and the instability could cause a cave in. But this isn't the only reason they tell you to stay on the trail. The possibility of this thing blowing is still real, and they want you to stay on the trail in case the need to find your body. It makes search and rescue easier as well.
There was one trail we saw that I felt like you would have to be insane to take. The trail went up the ridge of a mountain alongside Mt. St. Helen's. It wouldn't have got us any closer to the volcano, however, it had some great views. The problem with this trail was it was about 2 feet wide, and a pretty extreme drop off on either side. You had to stay on the trail. Failure to do so would have hurt.
As I started thinking about mountain living, these trails have really stood out to me. There were a lot of ways to get to where we ended our hike. We could have cut straight through instead of taking the winding routes the trail offered. That would have been difficult, since that route would have resulted in a lot of climbing up rock faces and required some equipment we didn't have. It probably would have taken longer, too. We had to go through a couple of pretty deep valleys at the base of the volcano, and the trail offered the path that made it easy to cross. Trying to do this on our own could have gotten us hurt. We could have ignored the trails completely and did our own thing. I doubt we would have gotten lost, but I am sure we would have gotten into some places we weren't supposed to be. We could have gone up the volcano and checked out the domes and the glaciers and seriously could have been injured.
The point is, there is a reason for the trail. It is there for our safety. It is there so we can enjoy the trip. It offers views and experiences that are amazing. Sure, it is a longer route, but it is an easier one. It is supposed to be walked on. It makes life easier. At the end of the day, it is the way you are supposed to go to enjoy the mountain.
The trail of integrity is the path we are supposed to walk on in life. If we want to live on holy hills, we have to walk blamelessly. We have to do what is right. We have to speak truth, real truth, from our heart.
I think this is a path many Christians do not want to walk on anymore. We want to do our own thing and find any excuse possible to not walk on the trail God has intended for us. Some will say, "I am a work in progress," or, "I am better than I was but not where I need to be," or, "God hasn't really convicted me about that," knowing the whole time God is talking to us about it, but we don't want to listen. We say things like "God has already died for that sin," and continue to sin because we know we have that forgiveness. We have been riding the train of Cheap Grace way too long.
If I was to look at my life and see the times where I was not walking this path of integrity, I can see I was really missing out on some good things. There are times where I did things on my own, and it ended up having a devastating time in handling the issues I was dealing with. There are times where I walked my own way, and I got lost. There are times where I have done my own thing and life seemed to get more and more difficult.
The path is their for our safety. It helps us really experience life like we are supposed to. Sure, it is tough, but seeing God work around you is amazing. It may be a longer route. It may be a more difficult route to take in some situations, but if we really want to experience God in big, new, and exciting ways, we need to stay on the trail. Walk blamelessly, do right, speak truth.
Some people say this is legalism. I don't think of it that way. I know I am already saved. I know nothing I do can make me more saved. Walking righteously is an act of worship to God. I was reminded of that this morning. A had the privilege of going to the ordination of a long time good friend of mine. I have known this guy for years, and if you ask me, he is one of the best guys I know. He is super nice, he loves the Lord, he loves others, and he has a servant's heart. He is everything you could ever want in a man of God. On top of it all, he has a great voice. I love hearing this guy sing, and I have, on more than one occasion, caught myself wiping away a tear or two when he has done special music.
So, on top of being a part of this special service, I was pleased to see that my friend was going to sing a solo this morning during service. As the music started, he began singing, and I could tell something wasn't right. It didn't sound right, and I couldn't put my finger on what was happening. Was it the musicians? Was it the piano? Was it the guitar? Surely it wasn't him. He can always hit the right notes.
Halfway through the first verse, he stopped everything. He looked at the band and touched at his chest, saying in a way it was his fault. Then, he looked at the audience and said, "We are just going to have to start this over. I am offkey, and I know it, and I know that if I start that way, I am never going to find it." They started over, and man, it was amazing. I might have got teary eyed. Allergies. Anyways...
My friend knew that he was on the wrong path musically. We knew it, too. If this song of praise was going to be a blessing, it would have to be on key. My friend knew that, and got back on the right musical path. It was only when he was on the right key did he feel like this music from the heart was right. It was only when he was on the right musical path that we could take part in that praise. It was only when the right musical path was found that we could sing on a holy hill.
If we want dwell on holy hills, we have to get on the right path. When we walk righteously, we are protected by God. We enjoy life the way God intended. We see God's glory and bask in his majesty. We do the right thing not because we have to, but because we want to. We want to do the right thing because it is an act of worship to God. The actions of our life are an overflow from our heart. If we are filled with God's truth and His love, the results are seen in our everyday life. We walk righteously.
It isn't too late. If you are reading this and feel like you are nowhere near walking on the right path, follow the example my friend set this morning. Stop everything. Get on the right path. I don't know what that looks like for you. It could mean finally letting go of something you have been holding on to for a long time. It could mean forgiving someone that hurt you years ago. It could mean finally handling that addiction that has been ruining your life. It could mean having to be a little more disciplined. It could mean praying more. It could mean guarding your heart more. Whatever it is, it isn't too late. Stop. Find the path. Get on it.
Walk blamelessly. Do what is right. Fill your heart with truth.
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