Difficulty?

Hebrews 11:22 - No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.

As we progress in our faith (accepting the amazing offer of salvation through faith in the death and resurection of Jesus Christ), we are EXPECTED to grow.  Just as a child is abnormal without "growth", a Christian is abnormal without hungering and thirsting for maturity.

The only real means for "growth" is primarily by becoming a student of the Bible.  I know, who wants to go back to school? Even if the thought of "school" is unappealing, once entered into, the school of the Spirit becomes exciting and rewarding.

There are amazing truths "hidden" in the word of God which Father God longs to share with His children.  God does not have favorites per se, yet he does have this to say:

11:5 -  It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.

I began pondering how frequently there are references to "mountains" in the Bible. As I meditated a while on this topic, since so many heathen religions used "high places" as their altars to bring sacrifices, many references also speak of "the mountain of the Lord" and I wondered why there are low, level places and yet mountains on planet earth, as well as, spiritually?

It occurred to me that anyone who has no choice or simply enjoys a challenge, in order to span a mountain, must be strong and hearty and whether they enjoy it or not, they must persevere.

I was born in the mountains of Kentucky and I used to ponder how challenging it must have been for the early settlers to move west.  I can't imagine what traveling by covered wagon, with a family must have been like on smooth terrain, let alone looking at the Appalachian Mountains and thinking, "How are we going to continue?" 

But they did!  Hard work and perseverance paid off!

We, as believers in Christ in America, can easily become "soft" in our faith.  We have so many blessings in the natural:  easy access to food, clothing and, for most people, shelter!  Yet, we too are expected to HUNGER and THIRST for righteousness:

Hebrews 12

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

18 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!

I think it is wise for any and all Christians to "examine" themselves as scripture tells us to do, "to see if you are in the faith."  We want to be certain that our entrance into the Heavenly Kingdom is sure. We may hear a message that would imply "once saved, always saved" but that is simply refuted if you read your Bible for yourself and not rely on someone else to interpret it for you.
  

Get off pablum and onto the "meat" of the Word of God.  In other words, grow up and be confident of your position as a child (who matures) of God!

Mountains (of testing) are normal in our walk with the Lord as a sort of check-up to show us how well we are doing.  It is not God's desire that we fail or fall back, but rather to be recognized as 'overcomers."  

John 16:33- "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”