“The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” Psalm 72:3
Psalms 72:3
Standing upon a mountain, one cannot help but feel how small the anxieties of life really are. The winds still blow, clouds still gather, and storms still pass across the peaks, yet the mountains remain unmoved. David often looked to the mountains, but Solomon, in this psalm, says something even more remarkable: the mountains themselves will bring peace to the people. But only “by righteousness.”
The peace spoken of here is not merely the absence of conflict. It is the peace that comes when God’s righteous King reigns. Psalm 72 is ultimately a prophecy of Christ. Wherever His rule is welcomed, peace follows. Not because circumstances become easier, but because hearts become anchored in Him.
For the believer today, the mountains can also represent the great challenges that rise before us. Some face mountains of illness, grief, financial hardship, broken relationships, or uncertainty about the future. Others struggle with mountains that no one else can see. Guilt from the past, fear of failure, discouragement, addiction, or the burden of their own sinful nature. Yet there is one mountain greater than them all: the mountain of sin that separates humanity from a holy God. It is a mountain no amount of human effort can climb and no strength of our own can remove. But at the cross, Christ did what we never could. (Eph 2:13) Through His sacrifice, the mountain of condemnation was overcome. The believer can now say with confidence, “I am washed. I am forgiven. I am free. I am brought near.” Every other mountain in life must be viewed from that higher ground. Whatever difficulty stands before us today is smaller than the grace that has already brought us into peace with God.
Our generation is surrounded by uncertainty. Nations rage, families fracture, truth is questioned, and many live with an undercurrent of fear about the future. Technology has connected the world, yet loneliness has increased. Information is abundant, but wisdom is scarce.
In such a time, God’s answer is not first a change in circumstances but a righteous King.
Standing on that mountain, I realized that the highest peak I had ever faced was not made of rock or snow, but of my own sin and separation from God. Christ has already carried me over that summit. Because I am washed in His blood, forgiven by His grace, and free in His salvation, I can face every other mountain with hope. The difficulties before me may still be steep, but they no longer define my future. The greatest victory has already been won. As I reflected on that day, from the top of the mountain, these words came to me while I thought upon both the climb and the One I met there.
On Top Of The Mountain
Climbing my mountain high
I lost the meaning of my days
Higher yet to climb the why
Search for God, long for praise
His message of hope at the top
For friend and foe alike up there
Deserve their part as harvest crop
Stand in place and let Him share
Mountain prepared a speech or two (Psalms 19:1)
As I struggled to climb up there
Spoke of relationship kind and true
For on the mount He said “I care.”
Sun rises in place, lights my path
Yes, it was ready to shine at night
The more I climbed the less my wrath
For at the top I found God’s Light (by David Battler, all rights reserved)
Every believer has a mountain. Some are visible; others are hidden in the heart. Yet every mountain becomes a place of hope when it becomes a place of meeting with God. The greatest peace is not found at the summit of a hill but at the foot of the cross, where Christ conquered the greatest mountain we could never climb ourselves.
This mountain where I prayed did not remove tomorrow’s challenges. It did something better. It reminded me that above the noise of the valleys stands a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The same God who carved those ridges, raised those forests, and governs the clouds also governs history. His righteousness has not diminished because the world has become more turbulent.
Perhaps that is why mountains have always spoken so powerfully to believers. Like they did to me the day I stood in the enclosed picture on top of The Cardinal Divide. These beautiful mountains preach without words. They declare stability in a restless age, permanence in a temporary world, and majesty that humbles human pride. As followers of Christ, we are called to carry that same quiet confidence into the valleys where we live and work. Onto the mountain tops of our experience. Onto the mountains of difficulty wherein we often are placed or called. All these are God’s workmen whereby we are free in Him and in the power of His name. Our peace does not arise from favorable headlines or comfortable circumstances. It comes from knowing that King Jesus still reigns. Our Creator knows us and still loves us.
“Where Jesus is there is peace, lasting, deep, eternal. Even those things which were once our dread, lose all terror when Jesus is owned as monarch of the heart: death itself, that dark mountain, loses all its gloom. Trials and afflictions, when the Lord is with us, bring us an increase rather than a diminution of peace.” – Spurgeon, Treasury of David
“You may be sure to have peace when your mountains shall bring forth peace… this is the work of righteousness.” Joseph Caryl
When the mountains seem far away and daily pressures close in, remember the lesson they teach us that peace is not found by escaping the world but by standing firmly under the righteous rule of Christ in this messed up world.
“Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. God’s righteousness is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 18.
“as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)
Lord Jesus, in a world filled with uncertainty, I hold forth the wonderful promise in your Word, “Peace I leave with you, not like the world gives give I unto you.” (John 14:27) Creator God, establish Your peace within the hearts of all who read this. Make us steadfast like the mountains You created—not because we are strong, but because You reign in righteousness. Help us to receive and to reflect Your peace to those around us until the day when Your kingdom is fully revealed. Amen.
