Writers 
All great journeys take place long before they are first sighted in the mountains. Prior to the victories there are struggles. There's a time of doubt before the celebration! There is usually a season in life when all things seem to be hard, and the way forward appears murky.
Mountains are a sign of things that are difficult in life. It's things that come from money, or disappointment, or rejection, or failure, or loneliness, or things that are bigger than our strength, or delayed dreams. Standing before these mountains, fear can cause us to lose sight of the journey we've taken thus far. We can see the obstacle and think, "I can't do that.
At times, however, the most significant journey is the one before the mountains.
Before David fought Goliath, he had already fought a few battles in the wilderness for his father's sheep. These moments of quiet build up him for a public triumph. Joseph's life was marked with betrayal, slavery and imprisonment before he was appointed as a ruler in Egypt. His tough times did not go to waste, they were a part of his training.
God has seasons in our lives to prepare us in places others don't see. You might be working very hard and no one is giving you any credit. While others may be succeeding, you might be learning. You may be praying for an opportunity that seems to be taking too long. You might even ask yourself if you'll ever see a return on your investment.
Don't look down upon that season.
Before the mountain the preparation is important – because it is for character, patience, wisdom, courage and faith. Sometimes God does not remove the mountain right away because He is preparing you to climb the mountain.
It isn't overnight that a seed grows into a tree. It takes a long time to grow while it remains hidden under the ground. Similarly, what you don't know may well be something good in you. They may be delaying so that they can be better equipped to handle the situation.
Preparations before the mountain are learning. Get ready before the opportunity. Prepare yourself for a promotion. Strengthen your characters before the platform. Before the victory, strengthen your faith.
Don't live your whole life with the hope that the hill will go away. What is the mountain teaching you?
Patience is a lesson learned from some challenges. Some discipline us. Some introduce us to people that will shape our future. Some failures expose a need for us to rectify weaknesses we need to address. There are pitfalls that lead us to a better road.
This is not a mountain that has to be overcome in order to be.
Bear in mind that all mountains have a peak. When comes the time, you will realize that the fight you had, which you cried, has actually made you stronger. You will learn why some doors closed, why some plans didn't work and why some seasons took longer than expected.
So, don't give up, if you are currently facing the mountain.
Take another step.
Keep learning. Keep praying. Keep working. Keep believing. Keep preparing.
It's possible that you don't see the whole road, but you don't have to see the whole road before you start going. In other ways, it takes a certain amount of faith to take the next step.
The mountain that frightens you today, may be the source of you reflecting and seeing all the ways that God has brought you this far.
Mountain preparation before the mountains. Before the victory comes perseverance. First a tale of faith a tale before the testimony.