“Cover Me” by Bishops of the Faith has been my song the last several days. The last three, well quite honestly, have been pure hell – to put it bluntly. I determined this morning that I was going to sing the song over and over again, and bathe myself in it, until I actually believe it again.

I have been through some nasty battles in the past. Not important what they were; but, one of them was right from the deepest core of the pit. (God is always more powerful, and always wins, but never underestimate what the enemy can pull out of a hat.) Oh, I survived, and got through it, but never have I gone through the burden of what I have during the last 72 hours. I felt the shift happen on Thursday, before lunchtime and the intensity of it stung like a nasty after-case of frostbite. Since then, I’ve wept, prayed, and cried out for protection over what God has begun here at Destiny Word, and for all the relationships involved.

Sometimes the very mountains, that we are supposed to be able to speak to, can seem so impossible to scale when it is required.You may find that you simply just don’t have the energy to climb it – certainly not in your own strength, at least. It also may become necessary to lean on those who may be at different places on the same mountain in order to survive. Unfortunately, you may even to look back and find that nobody wanted to make the journey with you after all, or that they are just further down the slope, and they need a whole lot more time to catch up to you. Look about the mountain and you may note some are away up at the front with their binoculars notebook in hand, noting what is ahead, while some are at the bottom studying the map of the mountain-face, others are climbing with a slow, steady methodical precision, and others still, are deciding whether or not they even truly want to start climbing it in the first place.

The higher the altitude, common sense will tell you, the more snow there is on the mountain – and the more necessary it can become to use a pick to chip away at the hardened, solid ice. Occasionally the snow-squalls, and blizzards along the way can force us to seek refuge in the cleft of solid rock for a rest, and for protection from our spirit of weariness. It simply becomes a matter of survival.

Tonight was the culmination of my own battle to climb the mountain in my own personal life, and to plant a flag for victory in that area. An unexpected storm showed up out of nowhere, and caught me broadside, so, now, I am going to pause for a place of protection, and a rest, within the Solid Rock. If the place of refuge seems too small, then I will just chip away at it, one piece at a time until it feels big enough to hold me until the duration of my journey.

The enemy has been, and will continue to be, working overtime to irritate, frustrate, and destroy what God has been putting together. With much purpose and positioning, we will don the armour of God, and wield the Sword of the Spirit, and climb the mountains as “family” together. Comfort comes, in knowing that when we fall, the gold-corded ropelling motion of His hand is there to capture and guide us when we free-fall from making the wrong choices.

Thankfully, when we are too weak or beaten-up to make it up there by ourselves, He is faithful to send other outside, former mountaineers, and folks of wisdom who once attempted the journey, failed, and learned from their messed-up attempts, and who will speak a timely prophetic word to encourage you on the way up.

After the storm hit on the upper layer of the mountain, and I had already made the decision to hide for a while, I was blessed to receive the words, from a “spiritual dad”, that I needed to hear. They were indeed most timely, and a confirmation of all the last few tarrying days. Do I have peace now? Yes, in bountiful supply.

I will continue to move forward in my uphill climb, but until the sting of the storm passes, I am quite happy to sit in the cleft of the Rock. When the temperature finally drops, I might just stick my nose back out and see how the weather is out there. In the meantime, I will sit inside with my Bible, laptop, and a big box of tissues. My binoculars will be perched in the doorway, watching and waiting for others, and I will be cheering them on as they hang on to their own piece of the Rock… No doubt, as I wait, I will probably still be singing…

“You cover me… in times of storm… I know that I can make it… if I keep my eyes on You… You cover me… ”