Down the Valley with our Lord

Matthew 17
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

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14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

The transfiguration happened on the Mountain Top. It was the moment when Father and Son was meeting face to face, the point where the "Manifest Presence of God" was poured forth. However, as soon as Jesus went down the Mountain, His Father began to bring him back to reality and reveal His true calling and destiny to Him, which Jesus responded well, by being obedient to the leading of His Father. The reality is that God's heart is for His people - not just you alone, but others as well. It is upon this principle, that God's specific calling for you will be revealed.

Your calling is down the Mountain
True worship unto God happens in our daily lives, sometimes, even in the valleys of life where circumstances may be extremely difficult. However, it is there - where situations may be frustrating and tiresome - that our true devotion to God is being revealed.

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7)

Sadly, many Christians love to be drenched in God's presence, but fail to live out the lives that God wants them to fulfill. We need to be alert at all times to what God is leading us in doing. Just as Jesus came down the mountain top and was prompted to heal, so we should be ready to respond to the things that God will put in our way. God is on the mountain top, but also in the valley as well. This is our calling - to proclaim of His Great Love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

True Worship
God wants us to worship Him with songs and intimacy so that we may draw closer to Him. Christians who stand on the outer courts and avoid worshiping God find it harder to develop intimacy with God. However, he wants to draw us close, so that He may fill us with His love when we are in His presence and pour out this love through us to those around us. This love does not come from us, but rather from God. By the strength of our own hearts, our love will never last the mile. But God's love is never ending, never ceasing and true love comes from God. He is the source of Love.

Obedience unto the Father is the best worship you can give to God. When we obey God in the tasks that He reveals to us, God is able to use us to touch and heal many other's lives. Let's live for God. Let's be available and alert to the leading of the Father so that He may use us to fulfill His purposes.

This is love for God: to obey his commands. (1 John 5:3)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)