Welcoming the Way Down: 4 Days to Coming Off a Mountaintop ExperienceSample

Celebrate Immediately

If you picture yourself hiking up a mountain and then hiking down, you would probably think hiking up was more challenging than walking down, right? While both are a challenge, the descent is very deceptive. It seems like the easier of the two, but descending can be painful and hard on your body! There is a lot of research that shows that the majority of injuries occur because trekkers do not descend safely. But you don’t get the joy of the summit without the reality of coming down afterward, so you’ve gotta welcome the way down! Embrace it, enjoy it, and get ready for all it has for you. Keep your head up, eyes forward, and feet stable so you can move faster, feel lighter, and confidently head back home, carrying with you all that God has done.

First things first…celebrate! And don’t wait to celebrate. Do it right away! Thank God for what He has done. Whether or not you feel it, whether or not you can see the fruit, time in God’s presence never returns void! So no matter what, you can start your journey down the mountain worshiping God for who He is, praising Him for what He’s done, and thanking Him in advance for how He will water and grow the seeds planted on the mountaintop.

It’s easy to celebrate when the win feels big, and the presence of God feels obvious (and if you’re in that place, don’t feel bad about it, celebrate away!) But it doesn't always feel like it's time to celebrate when the win feels small, maybe unnoticeable, or not as significant as what your friends experienced. The Bible is full of moments where God, often inefficiently, stopped everything and made His people throw a party–it’s full of celebration! In Leviticus 23, God told Moses to appoint times of celebration for the people of Israel. These included Sabbath, Passover, Feast of the First Fruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and more!

God pretty much tells us we MUST celebrate, so it’s time to party!