Tag: Mountain view

Why Are We Drawn to the Horizon?

Scripture

Sunrises and sunsets are magical somehow. We photograph them and don’t particularly care to get friends and family into these pictures. From a far away perspective, that impressive border between the outermost layer of a celestial body and its sky captures photographers, both professionals and amateurs. With the help of smart phone cameras, we breathe in the majesty of these moments like nothing else.

Is it the lifting of our hearts to worlds beyond, or the beauty of the brightest star, or the idea of heaven that transports us to that dazzling display of color and wonder? It might just be the shadow image that makes our hearts know for certain that Creator God is the accomplished Artist Who knows that we can glimpse His glory a tiny bit more as we take in such scenes.

Why do we reserve Airbnbs with a view? Why do we take our kids to Grand Canyon? Why do we sit on porches looking at mountains? Why is the beach one of the happiest places? The horizon is always magnetic! When on my favorite cruise line, one of my preferred places (actually called “Horizons”) has been the top level lounge that looks out over the ocean facing forward. What a vantage point! The wonder, the expanse, the endlessness, the splendor! These are all attributes that hint at an even more wonderful, magnificent and splendorous Creator God. Really, there is no other rational place for the mind and heart to go.

Psalm 19:1-6 says, “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving His chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

God does not hide Himself. He speaks personally through Creation. The universe is a silent sermon all its own. Sunrises and sunsets are the bursts of created majesty that confirm that God is good and that He has much to say about His own goodness. The brilliant colors are only a whisper of His majesty. The rhythm of our days and nights message God’s order and pattern imprinted on Creation. The variety seen on the horizon – no two sunsets alike and no two sunrises alike – persuades us that diversity and uniqueness happen by God’s amazing design.

A Better View

Scripture

Psalm 121 says, “…I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your Keeper; the Lord is your Shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

There is a lot to be said for looking up. Looking up from your smart phone. Looking up from your desk pile. Looking up from the to-do list. Looking up from life’s circumstances. Looking up from life’s messes…

And then it can happen. You see a masterpiece, like a mountian scene. You see the person in front of you, you see God’s creation, you see hope, you see vastness and beauty that is “real world” instead of virtual, you see possibilities and opportunities. You wonder how easily you might have missed it all…

As one who spends more time inside than outside, I especially need the “up look” in my life. I really do need to get outside, to take walks (not just for exercise), to visit the beach as often as possible. I need to reach upward for the God Who provides help. Help to believe when my faith is shaken. Help to feel His presence when so much of life seems upside-down. Help to stand firm in love for Him and for others. Help to find the good in people who bear God’s image. Help to move beyond disappointments and fears. Help to meet life’s demands with grace and humility. Help to receive His abundant mercies and grace.

God is my Keeper. Therefore, I cannot be lost or unsafe. He is my spiritual GPS. He safeguards my soul and protects my heart from false views of Him, myself, the past, and the future. He promises that, if I abide in Him, I will bear much fruit – the eternal kind that is. He personally watches over my life and will see me safely through to eternal life with Him after earth’s difficult journey.

God is Present. God doesn’t ever go missing (we are actually the ones who go missing). He is near and accessible always. Lord, give me eyes to see your presence and the ability to feel it, I pray. I know I am shielded from things I know and things I do not know. Similar to sunlight, I enjoy the benefits of Your presence, but am often unaware of the dangers from which Your presence is shielding me.

God is my Shade. He is my covering. He makes it possible to breathe deeply. He makes it possible to feel the cool breeze of peace and joy. He refreshes me, leads me to recover from the assaults of daily living, and reminds me that His Word and Spirit provide everything I need to have a heart that is cool, calm, and collected.

so, I will lift up my eyes to the hills.