Higher Ground

Recently in an office meeting icebreaker, we were asked what our favorite old hymn is. I shared that since I was about 4 years old my favorite has been “Higher Ground,” but I wasn’t sure why. That was the song I always wanted my mom to request during hymn sings, though I was too shy to request it myself.

As I’ve thought about it since then, I have a few ideas why it appeals to me. One influence is that I’ve always liked heights. I’ve been told that I would climb up on the back of the couch before I could even walk much. I enjoyed riding on my dad’s shoulders when I was little. I’ve spent many hours in trees (though not so much in recent years), and now after I clean out my gutters I like to hang out on the roof for a while. I would far rather spend my vacation hiking in the mountains than anywhere else. A favorite memory from college was visiting the Alps on two occasions. So even before I had much understanding of faith and theology, I liked the idea of being lifted up to a higher plane.

These days I resonate with the thought of life’s journey going through hills and mountains, and I want to find myself maturing and gaining ground over time. “My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise and fears dismay,” though I know that is a normal part of this life. There is great comfort in knowing that the trials of life will one day come to an end. There’s also great assurance in remembering that God is the One who leads us on through the whole way. As David wrote in Psalm 37:23-24, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled down, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand” (NASB). And God will complete the work He has begun in us (Phil. 1:6).

Though I don’t know for sure, I suspect the author, Johnson Oatman, was inspired in part by Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber… The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (vv. 1-3, 8).

We look up to the massive mountains and remember that the One who created them is not only more powerful, but He is intimately involved in our lives every day. Nothing escapes His notice or care.

I’m reminded also of the end of the Chronicles of Narnia where they enter the new Narnia and learn,

“‘The further up and the further in you go, the bigger everything gets. The inside is larger than the outside’… But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before” (The Last Battle, 180, 184).

One day we’ll get to enjoy that new reality in the presence of our Creator, Lord, and Savior. Until then we follow the path laid out for us by our Shepherd and Friend. I had to pause while writing this in order to watch the livestreamed funeral of a young woman who’d battled cancer for many years. Her life was a testimony of pressing on in faith, and through her funeral “faith has caught the joyful sound, the song of saints on higher ground.”

I want to scale the utmost height

and catch a gleam of glory bright;

but still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,

“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up and let me stand

by faith on heaven’s table-land;

A higher plane than I have found—

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13b-14).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Already But Not Yet

In a recent sermon on Hebrews 7, it was pointed out that we often go through life with a vague sense of guilt. This can be true even of those who are confident of their salvation. There have been times when I’ve found myself praying “Lord, forgive me,” but then realize that I am not aware of any sin for which I need forgiveness. I could interpret that one of two ways. Either the Holy Spirit is prompting me to search myself for some hidden sin (and I’m sure I’d find something eventually), or the enemy is prodding me with guilt and shame in order to keep me from being effective for the kingdom. Most of the time it’s the latter, and it clearly takes discernment to distinguish which it is (Hebrews 5:14).

A verse came to mind recently when the enemy was attempting to sidetrack me with old sin: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV). Paul makes it plain (using the aorist indicative) that these things have been accomplished and are not something awaiting future fulfillment. The author of Hebrews makes a similar statement, but puts it in the tense of a completed action with continuing effects (perfect middle participle): “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:10, 14).

Such statements are hard to wrap our brains around when we’re aware of our own sinfulness. How can something be categorically true and yet false in our daily experience? I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I believe it hinges upon the fact that God is outside of time (though proponents of “openness theology” would disagree). He can look at the entirety of human history as we might look at a printed timeline. In His view, Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to cover all our sins past and present, so our sanctification has been purchased once and for all. But we can’t see the end from the beginning. What we see is the daily struggle to resist temptation and to glorify God.

John Piper says of Hebrews 10:14, “This verse means that you can stand perfected and completed in the eyes of your heavenly Father not because you are perfect now but… that, by faith in God’s promises, you are moving away from your lingering imperfection toward more and more holiness” (http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/perfected-for-all-time-by-a-single-offering).

On one hand, it can be discouraging to know that we’ve not yet arrived and the struggles persist. But on the other hand, we should find great encouragement in knowing that God sees us as we will be for eternity—perfected in Christ Jesus. He doesn’t get tired of our frequent falls and pleas for grace. I imagine it’s a bit like a parent who says, “I can put up with the terrible twos (or teens) because I know that it won’t last, and something better is coming.” But it’s even better than that because God has perfect knowledge of what is coming, and one day there will be no more disappointment for any of His children.

In the meantime, we can keep on pressing on, claiming the forgiveness that is ours in Christ. And when the enemy tries to trip us up and drag us down into despair, we can ignore him because we know the truth and the truth has set us free.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own” (Philippians 3:11).

Formed on Purpose

The other night I read Isaiah 64:8 (ESV): “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our Potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” Thinking about that in the context of my life, I wrote: There is so much I would do differently if I were the one writing my life story, but I realize that any such creation would no longer be “me.” Change even a few small circumstances or events and this would be someone else’s life.

A couple nights later I read Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...” There are no accidents or unknowns to God. He didn’t just know that I would exist in this time and place. He knew me as He created me to be, with all the quirks, struggles, desires, and life changes that make me who I am today and who I will be in the future.

Big Daddy Weave has an album that I recently downloaded and just now noticed the lyrics to one of the songs, which you can read here: http://www.bigdaddyweave.com/songs/different-light Or listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prllO7kYsQ&feature=kp

They say it well. Although the events of our past are often things we’d like to erase or forget, they do serve to remind us of what God has done and is doing in our lives. I’m beginning to realize that every day is indeed a new day and a new opportunity for God to show His grace and mercy. Each day we can say, “That’s not who I am anymore,” because we are constantly changing, even though the process may seem too long and slow.

Philippians 3 is one of my favorite chapters of Scripture. In verses 13-14 Paul says, “...one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” No matter whether the memories of the past are good, bad, or indifferent, they are only memories. Give them to God to be covered by His grace, and keep moving forward. I know that is often easier said than done, but may we learn to look back with new eyes to see what God has done and to understand our stories more clearly.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).