Two years ago the Lord prompted me to ask Him for the mountain.
God took me to Joshua 14 and reminded me of Caleb’s bold comments when Joshua was dividing up the Promised Land. Caleb asked for the mountain that the Lord had promised him forty years earlier, proclaiming that he was just as fit at the age of 85 as he had been at the age of 45 and that he was still prepared to drive out the enemy from the land (with God’s help!). The last sentence in that chapter says, “After this, the land had rest from war.” Hebron was given to Caleb as his inheritance.
It’s a beautiful thing when God gives us a personal promise for our inheritance. When He promises us something, we can be sure it will come to pass. Romans 4:3 reminds us that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness.
It all started with a personal promise from God to Abraham. In Hebrews 11:13 all of the heroes of the faith died in faith, still believing for their promise. Verse 16 says, “Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God.”
Rest
If you truly believe God’s promise to you, you will enter into His rest. The book of Hebrews tells us that the just will live by faith and that without faith it is impossible to please Him. (I like to reverse that scripture and say “with faith it is possible to please God.”). Hebrews 4:3 promises rest for those who believe. This is the place of peace, where there is freedom from stress, anxiety and worry. I love the Lord’s rest because I get to cease from my work (striving) and rely on Him to do His work. This is the walk Abraham walked, and the walk that I want to walk.
Faith Without Works is Dead
James reminds us that faith without works is dead. We get to rest from our work (striving). However, we still need to move forward in faith, believing He will go before us and make a way when there seems to be no way. Through Zechariah the Lord spoke, “it is not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.” Only by God’s almighty power can God’s will be done. As much as we think we can do God’s will for Him, we can’t. So, the “works” James speaks of are the works the Lord leads you to do in faith.
My Mountain
Once I rested from my own work, I could enter into His rest and know that whatever He promised me, He would bring to pass. So now I work by faith. It’s a much different kind of work, going where the Spirit leads me, praying for His power to fall and break the yoke of oppression off the campus.
My mountain is “the hilltops of Southern Methodist University”. As we enter into our forty days of prayer on April 6th, I am expectant, believing that the Lord will give me this mountain!
As a busy ad agency owner and advertising professional, Vicki Garza heard the Lord call her to volunteer to serve the unborn and their parents in late 2008. She joined the Board of the Downtown Pregnancy Center in January 2009 and became the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee to start the Uptown Women’s Center, where graduate students and young professionals could come for answers concerning their physical, emotional and spiritual needs: uptownwomenscenter.com
In 2012, she co-founded U ARISE with her 23-year old niece, Kate. U ARISE is an educational non-profit created to promote spiritual health and wellness on high school and college campuses. In Fall 2013, U ARISE hosted ARISE AND PRAY, a 40-Day Prayer Initiative calling the nation to pray for the health and wellness of college students across the country: ariseandpray.org
Vicki is an avid reader and enjoys writing, presenting and public speaking. In her spare time, she looks forward to special moments with the Lord in Bible study and prayer and enjoys helping others. She has five children and 12 grandchildren and has been happily married to Paco, her high school sweetheart, for 36 years.
