You may very well know that mountains represent obstacles, limitations
or challenges in life that seem to deter you from making progress or moving
forward. Sometimes, the Mountain appears so large that you begin to wonder if
truly you can ever overcome it. At other times it is not only the largeness of
the mountain that bothers you, but the timing and condition at which you are
now confronted with it. The fact remains that the challenges of life comes to
us all whether we are prepared or not. It is therefore how we handle and deal
with these challenges that set the difference in our lives. It is not as though
we are all confronted with the same Mountain, no, our mountains are as
different as our faces, but the goal of the Mountains confronting us remain the
same - to limit us.
In Zechariah 4:7, (Who art thou, O great mountain?
before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain) Zerubbabel was confronted
with such a mountain and it definitely looked like a hopeless situation, until
the Word of the Lord came for him through the prophet. Now, if you look
carefully at the words spoken by the prophet and observe the language and tone
of the message, you will see something unique. It wasn’t just that God was
assuring Zerubbabel that the Mountain will become a level plain, it was that
God’s Word absolutely despised the Mountain. In my part of the world we say a
question can be either male or female, i.e, I can simply ask “who is your
father?” meaning I like to know who your father is. On the other hand, I can
ask “who is your father?” meaning you do not belong or you have no say here,
that clearly is despising you.
Now, when the Word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel saying who
at thou o mountain, God wasn’t interested in knowing what the mountain was
because He already knew, He was despising the mountain, saying it doesn’t
belong here or it has no right to remain here. This same attitude that God
demonstrated should be your attitude whenever you are confronted with any
mountain. Don’t sit before your mountain and begin to cry, don’t go about
telling everyone about your mountain, none of these approaches will change
anything. The Spirit of Faith requires that you despise that mountain, this is
the first approach towards making that mountain a plain - first despise it
rather than magnify it.
When sometimes I despise the mountains before me, it appears
to others as though I am irresponsible or I have no feelings, but I definitely
have feelings and very responsible, however, whatever challenge comes at me, my
first approach is to despise it – who art thou O mountain? You may ask how I
despise the mountains before me. Well, it begins from within, what is the first
thought that comes to you when you are confronted with a mountain? And then,
what is your outward response towards it? You may attempt to put on a show on
the outside like a person of faith, but if your outward demonstration of faith
doesn’t match your inward assurance of faith, that mountain may just remain
there.
I will give one pointed illustration from the bible to
further throw more light on this subject. In the book of 1 Sam. 17, Israel was
confronted with a mountain – Goliath of Gath. All the fighting men lacked the
spirit of faith, they hid in their caves because they had magnified the
mountain and had considered it impossible to take down. David coincidentally is
sent to the battle front and he was a man of faith. When he saw Goliath, you
could tell by his words and first response that he absolutely despised that
giant. Hear his words in 1 Sam. 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised
Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the
living God.
Like I said earlier, the first approach to leveling that
mountain before you is to despise it, and that is exactly what David did.
Observe that Goliath attempted to intimidate David, but David would not allow
himself to be intimidated, rather he would be the one to intimidate the giant.
1 Sam. 17:42-47
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him:
for he was but a youth, and
ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the
Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh
unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of
hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite
thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host
of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts
of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword
and spear: for the battle is
the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
The real battle between David and Goliath was won in between those
few verses. If David had not despised Goliath in his heart, and with his words,
there was absolutely no way he could have brought him down. In my opinion,
David so despised the giant that he wouldn’t even bother to use any body armour
when he faced him. Yes, we know that Saul’s body armour was too big for David
when he put it on, but if he had thought it necessary to put on some body
armour, they could have found some that fitted him. But no, in David’s mind,
this uncircumcised thing wasn’t even worth all that effort.
My friend, some of the mountains for which you are fasting
and holding several all-night prayers aren’t even worth it, they could easily
have been leveled if you despise them in your heart and speak words to them in
faith. Don’t misunderstand me, fasting and praying are good, but certain things
don’t have to wait until you go fast and pray or hold all-night prayers, just
despise them and take them out like David. Whatever the mountain that is
standing before you now, let faith rise up from within you to despise it, and
then speak words of faith to that mountain. Don’t let that mountain intimidate
you or put you under pressure, if it is a sickness or disease in your body,
despise it and speak to it; if it is lack, speak to it; if it is a habit
holding you bound, despise it and speak to it; don’t ever let the mountain have
the last say. When it says you are poor, sick, barren, or that you can’t make
it, speak back and despise it.
David had been dealing with smaller challenges this way and
when a bigger challenge confronted him which was also a national challenge, he
took on it by the same approach. Begin to use this approach even with smaller
and insignificant challenges, don’t wait until the big mountain shows up before
you practice this. I am certain that the mountains before you are not bigger
than God’s ability and if you despise them rather than magnify them they would
be leveled and your testimony will show to the world.
N.B
For questions on this subject and other subjects, kindly use the Prayer request/Testimony pane. You can also send me an email or reach me by Phone on +2348081249992
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