Time With the Lord On Top of the World

Mt. Olympus stands towering over the island of Cyprus reaching 1,952 meters (6,404 ft.). Since Cyprus is at sea level the height of the mountain is the relative increase in elevation. I decided to climb up to the peak of Mt. Olympus today to spend some time alone, to enjoy the beauty of nature, and to just relax and hear from the Lord. The bus ride to the mountain took 2.5 hours being all uphill and in a rickety old Mercedes-Benz van that looked like it was from 1970. I think I could have bicycled faster than this thing...lol....jk...no really, though. The bus was having a hard time on the roads going up the slopes. 

I was traveling with two young russian ladies I had met the day before. When we got to the bus drop off at the mountain resort, we agreed to meet back in a couple hours so that we would not miss the bus....the ONLY bus going back to Limassol. I climbed to the top of the mountain and was a little winded when I got there from the climb and the change in elevation. It was rocky with pine cones everywhere and it took about 1.5 hrs. At the top, I found a nice rock ledge to sit down and look out upon the valleys below. From atop the mountain the vistas of Cyprus were gorgeous! I could not have found a better place to read Scripture, pray, and meditate for the afternoon. I thought about many things in my life (past, present, and future) and prayed for a lot of specific issues that have been weighing on my mind for A LONG TIME. I had things that I was waiting to hear from the Lord regarding what I should do, how to do it, and when to do it and I wanted to use the quiet time on the mountain to reach call out to God and ask for him to help me know his answer.
  
Here are a few of my thoughts, passages that I meditated upon, and doxologies that I gave to the Lord:
 
“Oh Lord, your majesty is so great in all the earth, the mountains melt like wax before you (Ps 87:5), through all generations you have been our home, before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God (Ps 90:1-2), the fields and the sea shout of your glory, the sky and the earth will praise your name (Ps 69:34), and the rivers will applaud and the mountains will sing together for joy (Ps 98:8).”  ~JW
 
“Lord of all the earth, we bless you and lift your name on high. We exult you and adore you. The words you have spoken are sweeter than the purest honey (119:103) and your unfailing love is better than life (Ps 63:3). O God, how marvelous is your name in all the earth. If we would not praise you, all of creation would sing out. All the flowers of the field and all the trees of the forest would sing for joy and announce the glory of the King (Ps 96:12). How can I keep from singing, how can I keep from smiling, how can I keep from shouting your name in the valleys and on the peaks. Tears swell and overflow as your grace falls like the rain. You serenade your people with a soft lullaby of love.”  ~JW

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rain will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.” (Ps 84:5-7)

“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings.” (Ps 61:1-4)

“Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet.” (Ps 45:1)

“I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.” (Ps 42:7-8)

“But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, 'The Lord is great!'” (Ps 40:16)

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” (Ps 37:7a)

“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.” (Ps 36:5-9)

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” (Ps 34:8-10)

“I will exalt you, LORD, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O LORD, my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. Ou brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You keptme from falling intothe pit of death. Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, 'Nothing can stop me now!' Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, 'What wil you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on e. Help me, O LORD.' You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!” (Ps 30)