That Holy Mountain

One afternoon, I was scrolling down the news feed of my Facebook account and came across an individual begging people to pray for a friend of hers, who had hours to live. Without hesitation, I lifted my hands up to God and asked Him to do His will and to bring peace and comfort to those surrounding her at that time. She died an hour later.

I did not know the woman who died and furthermore, had no idea who the person was asking for prayers. This situation found its way into my news feed and felt moved by the spirit to pray for all involved. Curious to see who God’s new angel was, I followed the feed to her homepage and began reading. She was a young, beautiful, and active mother of three children and had a husband, who never left her side for a second. She was a woman of faith and showed it by her daily posts. Finally, she was a woman who greatly suffered from leukemia for several months.

One of her posts was directed toward her family, along with a quote from the Book of Psalms.

How many are my foes, LORD!
How many rise against me!
How many say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”

But you, LORD, are a shield around me;
my glory, you keep my head high
With my own voice I will call out to the LORD,
and he will answer me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and I fall asleep,
[and] I will wake up, for the LORD sustains me.

Psalms 3:2-6

This mother was preparing the family for her departure into heaven. What a beautiful way of conveying this message of eternal glory through the Psalms. Before entering the gates of heaven, I am sure she endured many trials and setbacks with much suffering, which quickly reminded me of The Passion. Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem with many followers who loved Him, tragically ending with a crippling walk up to Golgotha, where He would fulfill the scriptures and bring us eternal life.

This Holy Week, take some time to slow down and contemplate the Passion of our Lord and what it really means for us. What did The Passion mean to this mother who fought leukemia and ultimately won? I think about all the battles we face in life, whether they are physical or emotional, and how we can overcome those fears that enter our souls.

“With my own voice, I will call out to the LORD,
And he will answer me from his holy mountain.

Psalm 3:5

Lord, that holy mountain is where you died for our sins. Remember us, when you come into your kingdom.