1 I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
~ Psalm 121:1-2
This has been a favorite psalm of mine for many years. Having grown up in California, I saw many hills and mountains and now living in East Mesa, I get to enjoy seeing Red Mountain, Spook Hill, the Superstitions (covered in snow right now), Four Peaks, and others on a daily basis.
I know I have shared before that nature is a way that I personally encounter God, and I know many people do, but there is something about the majesty of mountains that really bring a sense of awe to God’s creation.
I have hiked parts of several mountains in my life, and it is always amazing to see up close all those aspects of a mountain that you cannot see from far away. Who knew there was a lake hiding on the side of the mountain? Do you know how incredible it is to be near the top of Mount Rannier at one time of the year and be walking in several feet of snow and then a few months later walking those same paths surrounded by fields of wildflowers with a rainbow of colors?
The awe a mountain brings from its height, depth, and grandeur help us in an odd way to understand the unfathomable love that God has for us. Just as there is always more to be seen in each mountain we encounter, there is always more to God’s love than we may experience in a certain aspect of our life. Psalm 36 does an incredible job of connecting that beauty of the mountains and God’s love for us.
5 But your loyal love, Lord,
extends to the skies;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is
like the strongest mountains;
your justice is like the deepest sea.
Lord, you save both humans
and animals.
I am grateful that in this valley we have the beauty of so many different mountains and all that they are and all they provide for us through their natural presence, and I also give thanks for all the ways they remind us of the love that God has for us and for all creation. I invite you to think of the ways that mountains speak to you and how maybe they tell of God’s great love for you and for this world.
Blessings,
Pastor Brian
