Genesis 13:18 – ” Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.”
Not many folks like “plain” anything. Plain vanilla ice-cream, plain rice, and especially plain oatmeal! (Can I get an amen right there!). We have been sold a myth that “plain” life is bad too. We want fun, excitement, and adventure! This also applies to our spiritual lives too. We desire to constantly experience the mountain top of spiritual victory, moving services, and the sense of the working of God in our lives. These things are all good but nowhere does God promise the to be a constant in our lives. Every year numerous people attempt to climb Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. For those who succeed the average stay at the summit is around five minutes. Five Minutes! At the end of a month long journey that costs thousands of dollars the summit experience lasts less than 10 minutes! The world record for staying on top of Mount Everest currently stands at 20 hours by one of the Nepali Sherpa guides. The truth is you can’t live on a mountain top. They are great places to visit but God never intended for us to live there. God intended for people to live in the plain. That is where the food grows and the water flows. That is where you can build your house and live your life. It is in every day plain old life where our love and devotion to God is proved and grown. The discipline of daily devotions and the commitment to spiritual living without the excitement of spiritual adventure is a sign of spiritual maturity and a genuine love for the Lord. It is the strengthening of our spiritual life in the plain that gives us the strength to prepare to climb the next mountain or to cross the next valley.
Robert Pophal
Senior Pastor | Rose Park Baptist Church of Holland, Michigan
