Moving Mountains

A Hiking Devotional

You're standing at the trailhead staring up at the mountain you've committed to summit. From down here, it looks absolutely impossible – a massive wall of rock and trees that disappears into the clouds. Your brain is running calculations about how far away the top is, how steep those slopes look, and whether your life insurance is paid up. Every logical part of you is screaming that there's no way you can actually climb that thing.

But here's what you can't see from the parking lot: the switchbacks that break the climb into manageable sections, the rest spots where you can catch your breath, the way the trail zigzags to avoid the steepest parts, and the fact that thousands of people before you have made it to the top using the exact same path you're about to take.

So you take the first step. Then another. Then another. And something remarkable happens – you stop looking at the massive mountain and start focusing on the next hundred feet of trail in front of you. You're not thinking about the summit anymore; you're just thinking about getting to that tree up ahead, then that rock outcropping, then that next switchback.

Hours later, your legs are screaming and you're questioning every life decision that brought you to this moment. But then you round a corner and suddenly you're standing on top of the world. The impossible thing you saw from the parking lot is now beneath your feet. You did it – not by doing something superhuman, but by taking thousands of ordinary steps in the right direction.

This is exactly what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 17:20 when he said, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." He wasn't talking about literal telekinesis – he was talking about the kind of faith that starts climbing even when the goal looks impossible.

In Philippians 4:13, Paul writes, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Notice he doesn't say "I can do anything I feel like" – he's talking about accomplishing the difficult things God has called him to do, with God's help. Earlier in Philippians 3:13-14, Paul says, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

And in Hebrews 12:1-2, we're told to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."

Here's the thing about big mountains – whether they're actual peaks or life challenges: they're designed to be climbed one step at a time. That impossible-looking goal God's placed in front of you? The dream that seems way beyond your abilities? The change you need to make but can't imagine accomplishing? It's not meant to be conquered in one heroic leap. It's meant to be tackled through consistent, faithful steps in the right direction.

The mistake most people make is standing at the bottom, staring at how far away the summit is, and deciding it's too hard before they even start. Or they take a few steps, realize they can't see the top yet, and give up because it feels like they're not making progress. But mountains aren't summited by people who can see the whole route – they're summited by people who just keep taking the next step that's right in front of them.

This Week's Challenge: What's the "impossible mountain" in your life right now? Maybe it's getting out of debt, repairing a broken relationship, breaking an addiction, or stepping into something God's calling you to do that terrifies you. Stop staring at the summit and ask yourself: what's the next single step I need to take? Not the whole journey – just the next step. Then take it. Tomorrow, take the next one. Keep going until you look back and realize you've covered ground you never thought possible.

Moving mountains happens one faithful step at a time. Stop staring at the summit and start climbing.

Questions for Reflection

1. Think About It: Have you ever climbed a big mountain or accomplished something that seemed impossible at the start? What was the difference between how it looked from the bottom versus how it felt taking it one step at a time?

2. Get Personal: What "mountain" in your life feels overwhelming right now – something that seems too big or too difficult to accomplish? What makes it feel impossible, and what would the "first step" actually look like?

3. Go Deeper: Where have you given up on something God might be calling you to do because you were focused on how far away the goal was instead of just taking the next step? What would it take to start climbing again, even if you can't see the summit yet?