What Grows on a Mountaintop?
What Grows on a Mountaintop?
By Mika Sillanpää, RCC, M.Div., DCC
This past week has been hard for many families: a lost job, a family emergency, a medical scare, or just the uncertainty of life as we move through its hills and valleys. If that's you, I want you to hear this first: God has not lost sight of you, and the valley is not a sign that He has left.
Let me ask a question. What grows on top of a mountain? Not much beyond rock and snow. The summit is beautiful and the view is breathtaking, but it can't feed you. Where do the orchards, grain fields and pastures grow? In the valley. That's where the soil is deep, the water collects and life is sustained.
The Valley Is Where the Shepherd Leads
Psalm 23 never promises a life without valleys. It says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me" (v. 4). The comfort is not that the valley is easy. The comfort is presence. The same Shepherd who leads us to green pastures and still waters walks with us through the dark stretches.
Scripture shows this pattern again and again:
• Elijah called down fire on Mount Carmel, then ran in exhaustion and fear. God's first response was not a rebuke. He sent sleep, food and water, and only then a new assignment (1 Kings 19). Rest came before the next mountain.
• The Valley of Baca ("weeping") becomes "a place of springs" for those whose strength is in the Lord (Psalm 84:5-7).
• The Valley of Anchor ("trouble") becomes "a door of hope" (Hosea 2:15).
• Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration straight into a valley of human need and healed a suffering boy (Luke 9:28-43). He knew that mountaintop moments prepare us for ministry in the valley rather than replace it.
• Even in the days of the kings, God showed that He is not merely a "God of the hills." He is Lord of the valleys too (1 Kings 20:28).
What Psychology Adds
None of this means pain is good in itself. Loss, illness and job insecurity hurt, and Christians are free to say so honestly. Jesus wept (John 11:35). The Psalms are full of lament.
Still, what we know about the human mind agrees with Scripture:
1. Hard seasons can produce growth. Researchers call it post-traumatic growth: deeper relationships, a clearer sense of what matters, and stronger reliance on faith. Growth does not come from the pain alone. It comes from how we process it, usually with support.
2. Rest is not weakness. Our nervous systems cannot sprint forever. Sleep, regular meals, and time with trusted people are not unspiritual. Elijah's story shows that God cares about the body as well as the soul. Jesus Himself withdrew to quiet places to pray (Luke 5:16) and invited His disciples to "come away and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).
3. We aren't meant to carry this alone. Social support is among the strongest buffers against stress, and Scripture says the same: "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2).
4. Uncertainty is easier to bear with something steady underneath it. We can't control the job market, a diagnosis or the next phone call. We can anchor ourselves in what does not change: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
Rest Is Preparation for the Next Climb
The valley is not where we are meant to stay forever. It is where we are fed, so that we have strength for the next mountain. Isaiah 40:31 says that those who wait on the Lord "shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles." Renewal comes while we wait, and the climbing follows. Our God, who raised Jesus from the dead, can "work all things together for good" for those who love Him (Romans 8:28), even the things we would never have chosen.
If You're in the Valley Today
• Name it honestly to God. Pray the Psalms, lament included.
• Rest on purpose. Eat, sleep and slow down without guilt.
• Let someone in. Call a pastor, a friend or a counsellor. Asking for help is wisdom, not failure.
• Ask for the Spirit's comfort. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, and the Lord is still the One who strengthens and heals.
• Take the next small step. You don't need the whole path, only the next step.
The valley is not the end of your story. The Shepherd is with you, there is nourishment here, and there will be another mountain.
If you're carrying more than you can manage right now, please reach out to your pastor, a trusted friend, or a professional counsellor.
About the Author Mika Sillanpää, RCC, M.Div., DCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with over 20 years of experience in hospital, residential and community settings. He is the founder of Restored Perspective Counselling Ltd. in Downtown Vancouver, where he focuses on men's mental health. He integrates sound clinical practice with a Christian worldview.