Vision for 2013

Every year I ask the Lord to give me a verse for the year as a vision, something to focus on. This year, again a verse from Isaiah speaks to my heart.

 For 2013 "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the L ORD ,  To the house of the God of Jacob;  That He may teach us concerning His ways  And that we may walk in His paths."  (Isaiah 2:3 NASB)

First is the invitation. Come. Simple, but my discouraged heart, full of the failures of the last year, can hardly believe he's still inviting me. Last year's verse and goals were solid, healthy and completed unachieved. I struggles in all areas of personal life management and my spiritual walk so a part of me can hardly believe that God is still interested in me.  He saw it all, but He still says come.  I can't describe how great that is. How beautifully redeeming.

Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.  I know I need to meet with God daily, but after 30 years of following Jesus I still struggle with the daily thing. It's embarrassing! I don't pray faithfully and consistently.  I don't do much faithfully or consistently.  The picture here of going UP to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God encouraged me.  Going up implies difficulty and an uphill struggle.

Going up is hard! I haven't climbed a real mountain, but I've walked up the 99+ steps of Diamond Head and the 224 of Seven Falls in Colorado. I'm not physically fit. My kids sprinted past me and waited at the top in Hawaii while my husband patiently adjusted in pace to mine in Colorado. I had to stop and rest a lot, but I made it! How? By taking one step at a time and not giving up.

Going up to the mountain of the Lord daily will not be easy (for some reason I guess I  thought it would be a fun, joyful journey every day), but I can do this one step at a time. I don't get up in the morning well. I get distracted easily. It will be HARD for me to get up earlier than I naturally do and to head into prayer first thing. (Structuring that time to accommodate my lack of brain function will be another post;-) for some reason it comforts me and encourages me to expect this journey to be hard.

Why would I want to stick with this uphill climb?  I purpose to go to the mountain of the Lord, the house of God, SO that I may be taught His ways IN ORDER that I may walk in his paths.  That for me is a vision that motivates.