THANK GOD FOR THE ROUGH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN

Many times we complain that life is too tough or filled with too many obstacles. There is even a song called The Rough Side of the Mountain. In this song, people are crying out to God to help them scale this mountain. But if you think about it, this all may have been in God’s plan to have us go through things as He shapes us into the vessel He wants to fall in line with His will according to His purpose. This is alluded to in James 1:2-4 where it is written that when we experience trials and temptations we should be joyful because it is an opportunity to prove our faith. And if we allow Him to, God will work on our steadfastness, endurance, and patience until we will become fully developed and (saints) without blemish.

There is a saying, “No pain, no gain.” God put in my spirit that in James 1;2-4, He puts us in His spiritual kiln, so He can both test us with fire and also burn off any impurities that we have. We also will gain Godly and skillful wisdom from life’s many experiences which could be called seminars. This will accomplish several things.

First, it will refine us. Second, it will clean up the church in preparation for the big Wedding Day when Jesus will marry the church. You can’t have one person of a marriage sinless (Jesus) and his bride (the church) full of spots if you expect them to be one flesh (equally yoked). And in Genesis 2:24, it says a man a woman will become one flesh when they marry. Third, God is getting us ready to enter His eternal kingdom, and he doesn’t anybody shaky in an eternal environment. And fourth, God wants us to be mature, complete, and fully grounded so He can use us in Isaiah 55:11 where He sends His word out to His will according to His purpose and expects the task to be accomplished without us returning to Him void (unsuccessful).

This poem illustrates how we should joyfully accept the challenges that come our way because without them we would not grow in grace.

THANK GOD FOR THE ROUGH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN

Thank you, Lord, for giving me

The rough side of the mountain.

For if it was smooth I’d surely slide down

Looking at the top, while sitting on the ground.

I need the challenge of things being rough

So, in due time I will become tough,

Grabbing and grasping, just to hold on

Clinging to life to sing one more song.

We all need to be tested in the fires of life

So, we can be forged into something that’s right

A vessel to be used to accomplish His will,

So we will not faint, but be focused and still.

Knowing that we were bought for a price

By our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And the things that we go through are not much to ask

Considering what Christ did so we could all last.

Until we cross the finish line and are raptured up

We should know that this was not because of luck.

The thing that we should understand and be able to face

It was not due to works, but accomplished by God’s grace.

So, praise God for things you face as you climb life’s mountain

Should you make it to the top, He has prepared for you a fountain

In it is the rivers of life which are void of any curse

And when you drink you’ll be filled with Him and never, ever thirst.

CONCLUSION

Be glad when things are not easy and that there are challenges in your life. They will help you grow and help you gain skillful and Godly wisdom if you pay attention to life’s lessons and ask God for wisdom when you are indecisive. There is a lot of merit to the saying “No pain, no gain.” It is only when we are battle-tested that we are truly bonded with Christ.