June 2, 2021

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!’” – Matthew 17:1-5

On Monday I took my family on a drive to Breckenridge. We left Pueblo and drove for two and a half hours, only seeing dreary skies and experiencing a lot of rain! There was no sun for over 130 miles! But as we slowly climbed up Hoosier Pass we finally came to a place where we had risen above the clouds. At over 11,000 feet, we had ascended to a place where all the rain and darkness was below us and all we could see was perfectly clear blue sky. It was such a beautiful moment that we had to get out of the car and just spend some time enjoying the view in awe and wonder.

I’m sure we have all had times where we’ve traveled through miles and miles of life with nothing but darkness… those gloomy, rainy seasons of life. A.W. Tozer has said, “Sometimes when we get overwhelmed we forget how big God is.” In the midst of the gloomy times, we forget that God is still God above it all. Throughout scripture we see the men of God – Abraham, Moses, Elijah – dealing with the darkness of life, gaining clarity of vision, and discovering the will of God by climbing the mountain to meet with the Lord. In fact, it is on the mountain top that the disciples were able to see Jesus for who he truly is. I encourage you, next time you find yourself bogged down in a gloomy journey, confused about where God is taking you, take time and meet with the Lord – climb that mountain, rise above the clouds, and enjoy the clarity you get from being with him.

Heavenly Father, we know that You are above all the dreary darkness. We know that where You are there is beautiful blue sky. And we know You want us there with You to stand in awe and wonder in the beauty of Your presence. Bring us to You. Clarify our vision.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon