Mountains appear throughout scripture as places of encounter with God. Moses met Him on Sinai. Elijah heard His still, small voice on Horeb. Jesus prayed on mountainsides and was transfigured on a high place. There's something about mountains - their permanence, their majesty, their ability to lift our perspective - that makes them fitting backdrops for spiritual truth.
I've been reflecting on three verses that use mountain imagery to speak about God's character and care for us.
Psalm 91:1 promises rest for those who dwell in God's shelter. "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." The image is of someone taking refuge in a safe place - perhaps a cave in the mountainside or the shadow of a great rock. It's not temporary. The word "dwell" suggests settling in, making your home there. When I make God my refuge, I find rest. Not just physical rest, but soul-deep peace.
Psalm 3:4 testifies to answered prayer: "I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain." David wrote this during one of the darkest periods of his life, fleeing from his own son Absalom. Yet even in that valley of fear and betrayal, he could say with confidence - I called, and God answered. The holy mountain represents God's dwelling place, His throne. When I cry out, I'm not shouting into a void. I'm speaking to the One who sits enthroned and hears every word.
Isaiah 49:13 declares God's compassion: "The Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones." This isn't distant sympathy. It's active comfort and tender compassion for those who are hurting. When I'm afflicted - by grief, anxiety, pain, or circumstances beyond my control - God doesn't stand aloof. He moves toward me with comfort.
These three truths anchor me when life feels unstable: God is my shelter. He hears when I call. He comforts me when I'm hurting. Like mountains, these promises don't shift with my feelings or circumstances. They remain.