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A Mountain of a God!

A Mountain of a God!

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Is there anything quite as visually impressive as a mountain? Rising up from the land, jutting high into the sky and dominating the horizon, mountains can take your breath away with their majesty.

And is there anything else in the world that seems as immovable as a mountain?  Is there anything as unchangeable as that monstrous piece of solid stone?  Anything as eternal as that rock-hard, in-your-face, unable-to-be ignored piece of granite?  Anything as invincible as that unbending, unyielding, undeniably solid wall of rock?

In reality the mountains can and do change.  The rock on the mountains is slowly eroding.  Glaciers, ice and snow impact the heights.  Landslides happen.  Volcanic mountains can blow their tops.  Humans can scar and change the mountain face.

Yet, I submit that there is nothing else on earth that seems as reliable as a mountain. There is nothing else in the world that seems as immovable, unchangeable, eternal, or invincible as a mountain

Consequently, the mountains are a magnificent picture of God’s power and protection.  The Lord truly IS immovable, unchangeable, eternal, and invincible … just like a mountain seems to be.

That’s exactly how David describes the Lord.  “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:5-8).

Fitting words as we wrap up a contentious election and embark upon a different administration.  Not to mention, as we anxiously observe world events!

I am confident that every one of us will acknowledge that it is God alone who is “my rock, my fortress, my refuge, my salvation, my rest,” and “my hope.”  We agree with those statements verbally and mentally, and yet all too often that’s not how we live our lives.  We are constantly tempted to look elsewhere for our joy and security.

Whenever we are leaning on the things of this world to support us, we have moved our life’s foundation from the Mountain that is God to shifting sand that is most definitely not.

As David states so clearly in Psalm 62, it is God alone who can fill all our needs.  He is our “go-to God” for everything!  And indeed, he carries quite a resume’.  Rock!  Fortress!  Refuge!  Plus, he’s our salvation, rest, and hope as well!  Sounds like exactly what we need (Who we need!) as we roll forward in history.

The Bible actually contains about 50 references to God as the Rock.  In other words, it’s a picture that the Lord wants his people to remember and embrace.  Clearly, it’s a picture that is intended to bring God’s people comfort.  And indeed it does!

It’s important to note that many of the Bible’s 50 references to God as the Rock imply that believers are grounded in that Rock.  Half a dozen other times the Bible stresses specifically the importance of being on the Rock.  In other words, not only is there no alternate for the Rock that is the Lord, but there is also no substitute for being on that Rock. 

In fact, it’s crucial that we are not only ON the Rock, but IN the Rock!  A person can build a house on top of the largest rock on earth, but if that house has no connection to the rock, it is destined to collapse.  Rather, a house built on a rock has to be anchored in that rock.  And when it is, there is nothing that can shake it.

So it is with us.  The Lord makes it clear that he is our Rock upon which we find our stability, strength, safety, help and hope.  But the only way we will reap the benefits of the Rock is if our spiritual roots are sunk down deep into him.  And when our foundation is the Lord and his Word then, as David writes, we “will not be shaken.”

As world events, (and our lives!), roll on, there certainly is no shortage of uncertainty and instability.  All the more reason to be centered on the unchangeable, eternal, invincible, immovable Rock that is our God!

Is there anything quite like a mountain?  I don’t think so.  It’s a picture of stability and power.  And that is exactly what our God is.  He is the mighty rock, the mountain that cannot be shaken.  What an excellent place to be anchored now, and always!

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A Picture of God?

A Picture of God?

Is there anything in nature that can even begin to picture the transcendent God?  No.  Not really, of course.  But is there something that might capture a smidgeon of his wonder?

Ultimately, all of creation testifies to God’s power, wisdom, orderliness and creativity.  As Paul reminds us, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made …” (Romans 1:20).

Soaring mountains.  Expansive oceans.  Roaring waterfalls.  The brilliant display of bountiful stars in a night sky.  The rich colors of fall leaves in the sunlight.  The varied and wonderful creatures that populate this world.  The complexity of our bodies; the miraculous-ness of life itself.  All of creation clearly testifies to the Creator. 

But is there anything in nature that illustrates Him?

The other night as I stood on our dock and gaped at the northern lights exploding in the sky above me, I wondered if maybe the aurora borealis comes the closest to picturing God.

The official explanation of the lights is that they are charged particles shooting out from the sun that slam into oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, which results in ionizing those molecules and causing them to glow in the night sky.  Unofficially (but uniformly), everyone who witnesses the phenomenon agrees that the northern lights are breathtaking.   

Kinda like our God!

Now again, there are multiple things in nature that are breathtaking when seen.  But is there anything else that appears quite as magical, mystical and mysterious as the aurora borealis?  The various shades of pinks, purples and greens dancing so artfully in the sky; the streaks of glorious light streaming and stretching down to earth.

The lights can appear in various colors.  Green is the most common, but shades of pink, red, blue and purple are also sometimes observed. Even yellow, on rare occasions.  Kinda like our multi-faceted Lord.

However, there are three primary colors – green, pink/red, and blue/purple – which blend into one unique and gorgeous palette.  Kinda like the Trinity.

Those ionized molecules bursting into our atmosphere create lovely light streaming in the darkness from heaven to earth below. 

Kinda like God, who is light (1 Jn. 1:5) and Jesus, who is the Light in the darkness (Jn. 1:5), the Light of the world and the Light of our life (Jn. 8:12), not to mention the Light of our salvation (Ps. 27:1).  Then there is also God’s Word, streaming from God himself, which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths (Ps. 119:105).

Earlier, I referred to the lights as magical, mystical and mysterious.  (And they feel that way!)  I’m hesitant to use mystical and magical to describe the Lord because of the current connotations of those words.  Yet, if considered in the proper context, they can apply. 

One definition of “mystical” is “transcending human understanding.”  (Our God is certainly that!) 

In the same way, “magical” is defined as “beautiful or delightful in such a way as to seem removed from everyday life.”  In other words – wonderfully unparalleled. (Our God is that too!) 

And the Lord is certainly mysterious.  (We can’t begin to comprehend him.)  

But even though the Lord is transcendent, wonderfully unparalleled, and incomprehensible, he is always deliberate and loving in his actions.  Though we may at times not understand the blending colors in our current circumstances, they are always beautiful – even if difficult – because the loving Lord is painting them.

And those sweeping flows of colors … they’re unpredictable and uncontrollable. 

That’s God too!  Unpredictable and uncontrollable.  (Though he does always answer prayer!  Yet we don’t ever know quite how he will answer).  Yet our unpredictable and uncontrollable God is very predictable in this way: he is always displaying love to his children. 

The height of the northern lights can actually reach an astonishing 620 miles.  As for the Lord, David addresses him in this way, “Great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Psalm 57:10).

We humans have to lift our eyes to see the lights.  And we have to lift them also to see the One who created them.  (Is. 40:26).  Our God is “in the heights of heaven” (Job 22:12).  He is far above us – both technically, physically, mentally and spiritually.  His thoughts and his ways are incomprehensibly higher than ours. (Is. 55:8-9).

Furthermore, just as the northern lights are often best viewed through our phone cameras, so the Lord has given us the lens of the Scriptures to bring out the colors and wonders of our God and his grace, to enable us to better understand our un-understandable God, and to move us to faith or to a stronger faith. 

The aurora borealis are literally awe-inspiring. 

Our Lord?  Even more so!

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Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

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Majestic and Magnificent

Majestic and Magnificent

It’s springtime, so there’s a few more days in Western Washington with clear skies.  Which means Mt. Rainier is visible again more often.  Here’s a post I wrote several years ago about this stunning creation of God … and about the astonishing God who created it.

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It’s 14,410 feet of majesty and magnificence.  On a clear day in the Puget Sound, it isn’t just visible; it’s prominent.  In fact, it dominates the skyline!

Situated just 40 miles Southeast of my current home in Tacoma, Mount Rainier often appears as a giant hologram … startlingly vivid but technologically created.  Only it’s not.  It’s absolutely real!

Also referred to as Mount Tahoma, it certainly isn’t the highest mountain in the world.  At least 16 other mounts are supposedly taller … some by only the smidge of a few feet.  Nevertheless, Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington State and the Cascade Range, and as inspiring a mountain as can be found anywhere. 

The reason for its impressiveness is due to what scientists call “topographic prominence,” or how far a mountain extrudes from the surface around it.  In fact, of the 128 “ultra-prominent mountain peaks” in the United States, Mount Rainier is ranked third!  It has a topographic prominence of 13,210 feet.  Majestic and magnificent indeed!

Tahoma is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states.  Its 26 major glaciers and 36 square miles of permanent snow and ice add to the mountain’s striking view year-round.  These glaciers spawn five sizable rivers: the Cowlitz, Carbon, Mowich, Nisqually and Puyallup.

But far under the cold and beautiful ice rages fiery lava.  Rainier is an active volcano.  While it hasn’t produced a major eruption in about 500 years, it is the source of frequent seismic activity (earthquakes). There is a high probability of future eruptions, making it one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.  It’s sheer size, towering over 3-plus million people, as well as the significant mantle of ice adorning it, could result in massive lahars devastating huge swaths of populated countryside.  Not only is Mount Rainier majestic and magnificent, it is daunting and intimidating as well!

I’ve often thought that Mount Rainier is an apt symbol of the Lord.

The state of Washington is blessed with not just multiple volcanoes and multiple mountains; it’s blessed with multiple mountain ranges!  But none of the other many mountains can compare with Tahoma.  It clearly rises above all the rest.  As does our God.  There are many other “gods,” but none can compete with the Lord.  He stands above all.  He stands alone.

Interestingly, there are actually three peaks atop the mountain: Columbia Crest, Point Success, and Liberty Cap.  The Bible describes the One-and-Only-God as comprising three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  One mountain yet three peaks; one God yet three persons.  Certainly not a perfect illustration, but fascinating nonetheless.

There is no denying the hidden danger and potential ferocity of the volcano that is Mount Rainier.  It can surely bring destruction.  So too can the God of the Bible.  There is nothing more lethal than the Lord.  To ignore Him or reject Him inevitably leads to ruination.

Tahoma is gorgeous – striking to the eyes and stirring to the emotions!  But there is nothing more beautiful than our God in all his glory.  Nothing in all of creation, not even the shimmering angels, can compare.  Yet God’s greatest beauty, his ultimate glory, resides in the fact that he saved sinners.  God’s grace demonstrated by God himself taking our place and dying our death, is an act of unspeakable loveliness … and love.  It stirs our souls and pours joy into our hearts.

Just as Mount Rainier often appears to “float” on the horizon … suggesting an unreal presence, so the Lord can seem distant and unattached to our reality as well.  But just as Rainier actually exists, our God is also “Fact,” and intimately connected to us.  He is real, and really engaged in our lives.

On the rare non-overcast days in the Fall through Spring in Western Washington, the locals often state jubilantly, “The Mountain is out!”  Of course, “The Mountain” is always there, whether the weather allows us to see it or not.  And so it is with our God.  Even when we can’t lay our eyes upon Him, the Lord is still with us.  Then there are those times where God’s presence, providence and protection are obvious, and we exclaim, “The Lord is here!”

When my aunt was in Washington for my ordination, she nicknamed Mt. Rainier the “Silent Intruder.”  A person can be lost in thought driving or walking, just minding their own business, when suddenly Rainier pops into view and takes one’s breath away.  If we are looking through the eyes of faith, God does that often!  We recognize God’s appearances and activity repeatedly in our day-to-day lives.  He frequently leaves us in awe.  We certainly experience that when we focus our eyes on the cross.  And then again on our Savior’s empty tomb!  Breathtaking indeed!

“This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.  Who then is like me? … Do not tremble, do not be afraid. … Is there any God besides me?  No, there is no other Rock; I know not one”   (Isaiah 44:6-8).

Mount Rainier is undeniably majestic and magnificent.  But the mountain doesn’t even come close to the majesty and magnificence of the Lord, our Rock and Redeemer!

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Even Better!

Even Better!

My wife has had to deal with some significant eye issues recently (a repeated detached retina).  Fortunately, God has blessed her with excellent care from one of the foremost eye trauma facilities in the world in nearby Seattle.  The Eye Institute is on the seventh floor of the building immediately across the street from the Harborview Hospital Emergency Entrance.  The opposite side of the building looks down the hill at the Seattle skyline.

Because we choose to take the earliest appointments possible to avoid the rush hour traffic North, we have frequently found ourselves in the waiting area in the early morning, gazing out at the lighted skyscrapers just across the freeway.  The view includes the tallest sentinel of all, the Columbia Center, stretching impressively over the city.

The Columbia Center contains 76 stories.  At 933 feet, it is the tallest building in the state of Washington, and one of the tallest five on the entire West Coast. 

Gazing at the Columbia Center, (and its equally impressive neighboring structures), in the darkness of the morning with the 76 floors of windows beaming out light, one can’t help but be in awe.  How did they manage to build that monstrous building?

And it’s not even just a simplistic block form!  “The building’s structure is composed of three geometric concave facades with two setbacks, causing the building to appear like three towers standing side by side” (Wikepedia.com).  The Columbia Center with its intricacies was developed by Martin Selig and designed by Chester L. Lindsay Architects.  Construction took almost three years.

Again, how did they manage that?  I’ve built some simple shelves and furniture.  But I can’t begin to comprehend building a skyscraper!

It’s difficult for me to grasp the amount of planning involved.  The deep and sturdy foundation necessary, and the magnitude of the building’s footprint.  The sheer amount and weight of materials.  The mathematics; the sciences; the precision.  The pouring and shaping concrete hundreds of feet in the air.  The wiring; the safety system; the dual elevator shafts.  The tensile strength demanded on the lower levels to support the immense tonnage of weight from the upper levels.

How does it not collapse?   How in the world does it not topple over in the fierce winter winds?  And how has it continued to stand in the past earthquakes?

It’s certainly an impressive view in the early morning from the seventh floor of the Jefferson Building.

Just a few floors from the top of the Columbia Center, a 360-degree observation area allows the public to look down on the city of Seattle, (for a fee, of course).  It’s the highest public viewing area east of the Mississippi.  I know from personal experience that it takes 2 long elevator rides to even reach it!  But what a view when you do!

To the West are the revolving waterfront ferris wheel, the ferries traversing Elliot Bay, and container ships waiting to be unloaded.  To the South, the sports stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks.  To the East, the freeway below with tiny vehicles in snaking procession, and Harborview Medical Center on the hill above.  To the North, the jutting scrapers of Seattle and the iconic Space Needle.  And above it all, airplanes cruising in for landings at nearby Seatac Airport.  Astounding works of man everywhere the eye gazes … viewed at almost 900 feet in height from inside a freakishly high construction constructed by people.

The works of humans are evident everywhere, whether gazing at the skyline from the seventh floor Eye Institute, or from the viewing area of the Columbia Center above the skyline.  But if one looks past the creations of people, the creations of the Creator are also evident.  The beaming sun and brilliant blue sky, (on the clear days in the Pacific Northwest!).  The Olympic and Cascade Mountains; the Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean; the forests, woods and flowering meadows; and all the wondrous creatures that live on, in and under them.

God created them all!  God created the base materials, and the basic scientific and mathematical principles used to build these things.  God created human beings who utilize the materials and the principles, and God endowed them with incredible capabilities.  The knowledge and ability to build skyscrapers, a Space Needle, and sports stadiums, (and operate on eyes!) comes from the Lord.  As does the fortitude to construct ferries and freeways and flying planes. 

The Creator made all of creation, and He made all of the mini-creators who utilize God’s creation to create.  What humans build in relation to God’s handiwork – well, that’s like comparing my homemade bookshelves to a skyscraper!

The creations and knowledge and abilities of humans are certainly impressive.  But God and his work, that’s even better!

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Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 42:5&8
This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I am the LORD; that is my name!  I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.

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Boundless!

Boundless!

This week my wife and I were able to spend a few days out at the coast.  What a blessing!  And really, there is nothing quite like the ocean.

Here are a few fun facts about the oceans:

Approximately 70 percent of the planet is covered with ocean, and 97 percent of the earth’s water can be found in our oceans.  In fact, the oceans contain 328 million cubic miles of water.

The average depth of the oceans is more than 12,400 feet. (That’s over two miles deep!)

The deepest and longest “valley” in the world is in the western Pacific Ocean.  It is called the Mariana Trench, and stretches over 1,500 miles long with an average width of 43 miles.  The maximum known depth of the Mariana Trench is over 36,000 feet.  (About 7 miles deep!)

In addition, the longest mountain range in the world (the Mid-Oceanic Ridge) is also under water.  This chain of mountains runs through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and into the Indian and Pacific oceans.  It extends more than 35,000 miles and it makes up 23 percent of the Earth’s total surface.  Some of its peaks climb higher than those in the Alps … except that these heights exist below sea level.

Humans have explored less than 5 percent of the Earth’s oceans, which obviously means that 95% of the ocean is unexplored.  In fact, scientists own better maps of Mars than of the ocean floor.

But this post is not about the amazing wonders of the oceans.  Rather, it is about the amazing God who created the amazing wonders in the ocean. 

As mind-boggling as some of those ocean facts may be, what I find amazing about the ocean is a bit simpler.  The ocean waves never ever end. 

If you have been fortunate at some point to stay at a place along the ocean, you know that the roar of the ocean never stops.  You can shut the sliding doors onto the deck and close all the windows.  You can even turn on the fireplace or dial up some soft music.  You can be eating your breakfast in the morning, sitting on the coach in the middle of the day, or wake up in the middle of the night. The roar of the ocean waves is always there; it never ends. 

That’s because the ocean waves never stop rolling onto the beach.  Those 328 million cubic miles of salt water just keep lapping up on the shore.  The stronger the wind, the greater the whitecaps, but even on the stillest of days the thunder of the pounding waves continues.  They never cease.

And so it is with our Lord.  His mercies and blessings never stop rolling into our lives.  God’s goodness and love are as immense and unfathomable as the water of the ocean, and as unending as the waves of the ocean.  In a word, boundless.

The prophet Jeremiah was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words:  “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, [O Lord!]”  (Lamentations 3:22-23).

The Lord and his mercy are like the unending waves of the ocean.  His great love for us keeps him from consuming us.  His compassions never fail, but are new every morning.  Like the waves of the ocean, the Lord’s loving actions toward us are continually rolling into our lives every day all day.  They never end.

The prophet Micah shares a powerful illustration with us.  Speaking to the Lord, he writes, “You will again have compassion on us; you will … hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

Instead of keeping a record of our wrongs or mounting our iniquities on permanent display before him, the Lord hurls all of our sins into the depths of the sea.  The Lord throws our mistakes into the middle of the mighty ocean.  All those transgressions plummet down 12,000 feet to the ocean floor. 

No!  Even better than that! The Lord casts our wrongdoings down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench – 36,000 feet down – and buries them there where no one can see them or reach them!

How can this be that our sins are buried in the fathoms?  Because of this nearly unfathomable truth: Jesus, the Son of God, suffered for us.

How awesome is our God!  How gracious and merciful!  How incredibly loving!  How patient and kind and good!  His compassions never fail; they are new every morning.  And so are God’s mercies, faithfulness, forgiveness, and his blessings; they are like the ocean waves.  Boundless!

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A Mountain of a God!

A Mountain of a God!

In my humble point of view, there is nothing quite as visually impressive as a mountain.  Rising up from the land, jutting high into the sky and dominating the horizon, mountains can take your breath away with their majesty.

And is there anything else in the world that seems as immovable as a mountain?  Is there anything as unchangeable as that monstrous piece of solid stone?  Anything as eternal as that rock-hard, in-your-face, unable-to-be ignored piece of granite?  Anything as invincible as that unbending, unyielding, undeniably solid wall of rock?

In reality the mountains can and do change.  The rock on the mountains is slowly eroding.  Glaciers, ice and snow impact the heights.  Landslides happen.  Volcanic mountains can blow their tops, as we know only too well here in Washington.  Humans can scar and change the mountain face.

Yet, I submit that there is nothing else on earth that seems as reliable as a mountain. There is nothing else in the world that seems as immovable, unchangeable, eternal, or invincible as a mountain

Consequently, the mountains are a magnificent picture of God’s power and protection.  The Lord truly IS immovable, unchangeable, eternal, and invincible … just like a mountain seems to be.

That’s exactly how David describes the Lord.  “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:5-8).

Fitting words as we close down a tumultuous year and embark upon another potentially challenging one!

I am confident that every one of us will acknowledge that it is God alone who is “my rock, my fortress, my refuge, my salvation, my rest,” and “my hope.”  We agree with those statements verbally and mentally, and yet all too often that’s not how we live our lives.  We are constantly tempted to look elsewhere for our joy and security.

Whenever we are leaning on the things of this world to support us, we have moved our life’s foundation from the mountain that is God to shifting sand that is most definitely not.

As David states so clearly in Psalm 62, it is God alone who can fill all our needs.  He is our “go-to God” for everything!  And indeed, he carries quite a resume’.  Rock!  Fortress!  Refuge!  Plus, he’s our salvation, rest, and hope as well!  Sounds like exactly what we need (Who we need!) as we roll into another year.

The Bible actually contains about 50 references to God as the Rock.  In other words, it’s a picture that the Lord wants his people to remember and embrace.  Clearly, it’s a picture that is intended to bring God’s people comfort.  And indeed it does!

It’s important to note that many of the Bible’s 50 references to God as the Rock imply that believers are grounded in that Rock.  Half a dozen other times the Bible stresses specifically the importance of being on the Rock.  In other words, not only is there no alternate for the Rock that is the Lord, but there is also no substitute for being on that Rock. 

In fact, it’s crucial that we are not only ON the Rock, but IN the Rock!  A person can build a house on top of the largest rock on earth, but if that house has no connection to the rock, it is destined to collapse.  Rather, a house built on a rock has to be anchored in that rock.  And when it is, there is nothing that can shake it.

So it is with us.  The Lord makes it clear that he is our Rock upon which we find our stability, strength, safety, help and hope.  But the only way we will reap the benefits of the Rock is if our spiritual roots are sunk down deep into him.  And when our foundation is the Lord and his Word then, as David writes, we “will not be shaken.”

As we embark on 2021, after enduring 2020, there certainly is no shortage of uncertainty and instability in our world and our lives.  All the more reason to be centered on the unchangeable, eternal, invincible, immovable Rock that is our God!

Is there anything quite like a mountain?  I don’t think so.  It’s a picture of stability and power.  And that is exactly what our God is.  He is the mighty rock, the mountain that cannot be shaken.  What an excellent place to be anchored at the beginning of a new year, and always!

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

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The Calming Creation

The Calming Creation

When I am exceptionally weary, a deep longing for the outdoors fills me.  When I finally manage to make it outside into God’s creation in those states of exhaustion, it has at times moved me to joyful tears.

In his book “Wild at Heart,” John Eldredge wrote, “The heart of a man is driven into the high country, into remote places, like a wounded animal looking for cover.”  I recognize that this doesn’t necessarily apply to every man, but it certainly holds true for me.

A longing for the outdoors is actually intuitive for most people; they recognize the need and yearn to be surrounded by natural things.  Not always, necessarily, but often.  Regardless of age, culture, occupation, social or financial status, humans find nature pleasing.  When given a choice, two-thirds of people choose to retreat to a natural setting when tired or stressed.  It seems that the recognition of the benefits of nature is rather natural. 

Studies are supporting this intuition; they are showing that time in nature really does impact people positively.  Not just men or certain men, but everyone.

“Now, a large body of research is documenting the positive impacts of nature on human flourishing—our social, psychological, and emotional life.  Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature in paintings and videos can have positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes, and social interactions.  In particular, viewing nature seems to be inherently rewarding, producing a cascade of positive emotions and calming our nervous systems.  These in turn help us to cultivate greater openness, creativity, connection, generosity, and resilience.”  (Kristophe Green and Dacher Keltner – GreaterGood.Berkely.edu)

The data confirming the benefits of time in nature is overwhelming.  However, the reasons why aren’t quite as clear.  The researchers speculate that the benefits may flow from awe.  Feeling awe during a nature experience appears to lower stress and improve one’s general well-being.  Remarkably, it need not be spectacular awe-inspiring vistas like mountains or the ocean to produce positive results; just being in “green spaces” brings benefits. 

And the benefits are arresting.  Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, anxiety and stress in people and produces pleasant feelings.  Creation not only helps one feel better emotionally, but actually contributes to one’s physical health by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and stress hormones.  Furthermore, God’s great outdoors enhances the immune system and promotes healing!  Even individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder, as well as psychiatric patients, regularly found improvements outside during research.  

Is it any surprise then, in light of these insights, that more and more corporations and even governments are attempting to tap into the benefits of nature?  Some doctors are actually prescribing nature to their patients, as well they should!  It’s an inexpensive prescription – relatively easily attained – with potentially profound results.

Why is this so?  Why does time outside, or even viewing scenes of the outdoors, help humans so much?  Clearly God created us this way, with a deep need for nature. 

Who can know for sure?  However, I can’t help but think of the very first humans and the father and mother of us all.  Adam and Eve were brought to life by God outside in a garden … not in an office or a shopping mall or even a living room.  They weren’t inserted by the Lord into a structure of any kind.  In fact, there weren’t any buildings in God’s new world!  When Adam and Eve first opened their eyes, they saw nature.

I don’t want to make too much of this.  Obviously, Adam and Eve were perfect people living in a perfect world.  It was a drastically different world with an entirely different climate.  Still, God created them outside to live outside, surrounded by the wonders of God’s glorious new creation.  Surely this has at least a little significance in our own makeup, even removed as distantly as we are from them by time and corrupted as we are by sin. 

Every human still has a vestige of the awe Adam and Eve felt as they, with wide-eyes, scanned the exquisite world around them.  Wonder flows from viewing what God has made.  The Bible discusses this very thing:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world”  (Psalm 19:1-4).

When this sin-infected creation is so aesthetic, how magnificent will heaven be?  One day we’ll find out.  When we first open our eyes there, be assured we will experience every bit the awe that Adam and Eve felt at their first glance of creation!  In the meantime, we are drawn to the beautiful things around us – beautiful things which God created and endowed with rejuvenating blessings. 

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth”  (Psalm 121:1-2).

Majestic and Magnificent

Majestic and Magnificent

It’s 14,410 feet of majesty and magnificence.  On a clear day in the Puget Sound, it isn’t just visible; it’s prominent.  In fact, it dominates the skyline!

Situated just 40 miles Southeast of my home in Tacoma, Mount Rainier often appears as a giant hologram … startlingly vivid but technologically created.  Only it’s not.  It’s absolutely real!

Also referred to as Mount Tahoma, it certainly isn’t the highest mountain in the world.  At least 16 other mounts are supposedly taller … some by only the smidge of a few feet.  Nevertheless, Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington State and the Cascade Range, and as inspiring a mountain as can be found anywhere. 

The reason for its impressiveness is due to what scientists call “topographic prominence,” or how far a mountain extrudes from the surface around it.  In fact, of the 128 “ultra-prominent mountain peaks” in the United States, Mount Rainier is ranked third!  It has a topographic prominence of 13,210 feet.  Majestic and magnificent indeed!

Tahoma is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states.  Its 26 major glaciers and 36 square miles of permanent snow and ice add to the mountain’s striking view year-round.  These glaciers spawn five sizable rivers: the Cowlitz, Carbon, Mowich, Nisqually and Puyallup.

But under the cold and beautiful ice rages fiery lava.  Rainier is an active volcano.  While it hasn’t produced a major eruption in about 500 years, it is the source of frequent seismic activity (earthquakes). There is a high probability of future eruptions, making it one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.  It’s sheer size, towering over 3-plus million people, as well as the significant mantle of ice adorning it, could result in massive lahars devastating huge swaths of populated countryside.  Not only is Mount Rainier majestic and magnificent, it is daunting and intimidating as well!

I’ve often thought that Mount Rainier is an apt symbol of the Lord.

The state of Washington is blessed with not just multiple volcanoes and multiple mountains; it’s blessed with multiple mountain ranges!  But none of the other many mountains can compare with Tahoma.  It clearly rises above all the rest.  As does our God.  There are many other “gods,” but none can compete with the Lord.  He stands above all.  He stands alone.

Interestingly, there are actually three peaks atop the mountain: Columbia Crest, Point Success, and Liberty Cap.  The Bible describes the One-and-Only-God as comprising three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  One mountain yet three peaks; one God yet three persons.  Certainly not a perfect illustration, but fascinating nonetheless.

There is no denying the hidden danger and potential ferocity of the volcano that is Mount Rainier.  It can surely bring destruction.  So too can the God of the Bible.  There is nothing more lethal than the Lord.  To ignore Him or reject Him inevitably leads to ruination.

Tahoma is gorgeous – striking to the eyes and stirring to the emotions!  But there is nothing more beautiful than our God in all his glory.  Nothing in all of creation, not even the shimmering angels, can compare.  Yet God’s greatest beauty, his ultimate glory, resides in the fact that he saved sinners.  God’s grace demonstrated by God himself taking our place and dying our death, is an act of unspeakable loveliness … and love.  It stirs our souls and pours joy into our hearts.

Just as Mount Rainier often appears to “float” on the horizon … suggesting an unreal presence, so the Lord can seem distant and unattached to our reality as well.  But just as Rainier actually exists, our God is also “Fact,” and intimately connected to us.  He is real, and really engaged in our lives.

On the rare non-overcast days in the Fall through Spring in Western Washington, the locals often state jubilantly, “The Mountain is out!”  Of course, “The Mountain” is always there, whether the weather allows us to see it or not.  And so it is with our God.  Even when we can’t lay our eyes upon Him, the Lord is still with us.  Then there are those times where God’s presence, providence and protection are obvious, and we exclaim, “The Lord is here!”

When my aunt was in Washington for my ordination, she nicknamed Mt. Rainier the “Silent Intruder.”  A person can be lost in thought driving or walking, just minding their own business, when suddenly Rainier pops into view and takes one’s breath away.  If we are looking through the eyes of faith, God does that often!  We recognize God’s appearances and activity repeatedly in our day-to-day lives.  He frequently leaves us in awe.  We certainly experience that when we focus our eyes on the cross.  Breathtaking indeed!

“This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.  Who then is like me? … Do not tremble, do not be afraid. … Is there any God besides me?  No, there is no other Rock; I know not one”   (Isaiah 44:6-8).

Mount Rainier is undeniably majestic and magnificent.  But the mountain doesn’t even come close to the majesty and magnificence of the Lord, our Rock and Redeemer!

Incomparable and Unequaled

Incomparable and Unequaled

Is there anything else in our existence quite like the cosmos?  On a clear night away from the city lights, the view of the night sky is breathtaking.  Stars upon stars upon stars.  Too many to count and too spectacular to comprehend!  We are enthralled by the brilliance of the view.

We are also stunned by the immense distance between us and them.  Even with just our naked eyes, we easily discern the vast space in space.  But we don’t even begin to comprehend the width, breadth and depth of God’s cosmos. 

Astronomers believe that the diameter of the observable universe … the part we can see … is at least 93 billion light years in distance.

Astronomers also tell us that there are probably more than 10 billion galaxies in the observable view of the night sky.  And each of those 10 billion galaxies have on average about 100 billion stars in them.  That’s approximately 1 billion trillion stars!  (1 billion trillion stars!!!)

And that’s only in the observable universe!  There’s even more beyond what we can see with just our eyes.

Wow!  Doesn’t that rattle your brain a bit?  Doesn’t that fill you with wonder?  Doesn’t that stretch your comprehension beyond its limits?  How immense are the heavens!

Now consider this: the Bible describes God as “marking off the heavens with the breadth of his hand”  (Isaiah 40:12).  In other words, the Bible pictures God as using his hand to measure the entirety of the cosmos.  That puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?  That sheds some light on the magnificence, superiority, and immeasurable greatness of our God!

And that’s the point.  The star-filled view of the night sky illustrates the magnificence of our God.  The stars show God’s superiority over everything and anything else anywhere.  They show us God’s immensity.  They powerfully demonstrate how God is infinite.  Just as we can’t begin to comprehend the immensity of the cosmos, so we can’t begin to comprehend the infinite God

No wonder David was inspired to write the words of psalm 19.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world”  (Psalm 19:1-4).

In other words, no matter who a person is or where they happen to live, one thoughtful look at the night sky should convince them that there must be a God.  The stars are a night-by-night testimony to the glory, power, wisdom, and general magnificence of God.

The heavens don’t reveal who the real God is, but they make crystal clear that there is one.  Only through the Scriptures will anyone find that God … the real God, the only God, the magnificent God who made heaven and earth.

Which is why the Lord inspired Isaiah to write these words:    “To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.  Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing”  (Isaiah 40:25-26).

We read these words and our awe increases.  Not only did the Lord create the heavens and all the trillions and trillions of stars in them, but through his “great power and mighty strength,” he preserves them.  And then there’s perhaps the most mind-blowing truth of all; the Lord knows every single star by name!

We struggle to remember where we left our phones or put our car keys.  Yet the Lord has a name for every one of the estimated 1 billion trillion stars that we can see.  And he has a name for all the billions of stars that we can’t see, as well!

Our God truly is incomparable and unequaled.  And here’s the best part of all: this magnificent God loves us magnificently!  How awesome is our God!