At The Top of the Hill

“David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet … And when David was little past the top of the hill…” —2 Samuel 15:30; 16:1

We recently moved our household belongings in a rental truck from Port Orchard, WA to our new home in Florence, AZ.  On this trip we had to go over several mountain passes. The old rental truck barely was able to climb the steep grade of some of these passes.  It crept and “whined” up the grade at about 35 mph. Ugh! Once we reached the summit I could almost hear the breath of relief from the truck’s engine as we proceeded down the other side.

As our truck crept up these mountain passes the text verse of this devotional came to my mind.

King David is fleeing from Jerusalem due to Absalom’s rebellion. He is ascending the Mount Olivet. David went up that hill in despair. He weeps and climbs the hill barefoot. It was an arduous climb. But when he reached the top of the hill he worshipped God (2 Sam. 15:32). And just “past the top of the hill” David found help awaiting him (2 Sam. 16:1-2).

We all have hills to climb in the Christian life. It could be a financial hill of debt… a hill of marital conflict… a hill of a medical infirmity… a hill of emotional stress. We don’t know where the top of the hill is. We must plod on, in faith, not knowing how God is going to sustain us, but trusting that He will.

I’m glad there’s HELP “a little past the top of the hill,” if you can only make it to that point!  Keep climbing!