“Jesus took . . Peter, James and John . . up a high mountain.” Matthew 17:1 NIV

Mountain experiences stretch the soul, expanding perspectives and possibilities.

My thoughts and comments today are about “exhilaration.”

You can gain a broader perspective when you experience an elevated position. There is something exhilarating about a mountain vista. The higher you go, the further you see. But also, the more difficult the climb becomes and the effort and exertion more demanding. You won’t find crowds on a mountain if that’s what you’re looking for; most are happily busy below with the schedules and routines of everyday lives. Too few allow themselves the luxury of time and place to gain a clearer perspective.

I remember some of those times in my life. One was sitting alone in a snow bank on a mountainside ski run in Colorado one Christmas Eve, staring in wonder at a beautifully clear night sky twinkling with the brightest of stars, and listening at midnight to a stillness broken only by the ringing church bells in the quaint village of Breckenridge below. I have experienced the beauty of elevated heights in the Rocky Mountains, Virgin Islands, and Hawaii, looking across beautiful valleys and admiring peaks even higher than where I stood.

Mountain experiences are uniquely exhilarating. Such experiences stretch the soul,providing a different perspective from what you are accustomed. They provide a better perspective of vast possibilities, in contrast to the smallness of previous assumptions. Those opportunities come along too seldom; seize the occasion when they do.

Jesus often sought the quiet solitude of a mountain for prayer and fellowship with His Father. Jesus had gone alone at previous times. On this day, Peter, James, and John were invited for this elevating experience. See Matthew 17:1-8. They witnessed what no man had ever seen. Before their eyes, Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah, Himself robed in a Heavenly splendor their eyes had never seen.

Carried away by his own exuberance, Peter blurted out what he thought needed to be done. Wrong time, bad idea. Then Peter, along with his companions, heard God’s voice, leaving them frightened and speechless, “This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” Matthew 17:5 NIV. Like Peter, I too have a tendency to speak when I should just listen.

I love how the story closes. ”When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus!” See Matthew 17:8 NIV. No one but Jesus! That’s the life-focus I want to have, “that in all things [Jesus] might have the preeminence.” See Colossians 1:18 NKJV. In the moments of exhilarating spiritual encounter, keep the focus on Jesus, not yourself. Nothing in your life will ever compare with the moments when you see Jesus as He is. Nothing else quite measures up. God invites you along to see the glory of His Son, not just to feel the thrilling exhilaration of emotion. There are a lot of things about which people get excited; stay excited about Jesus.

My prayer for you this day is that you might have eyes only and always for Jesus.