Rejoice

Sometimes as I look over old backpacking photos such as the one I found here of Douglas Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of Oregon I find myself thanking God for the incredible sunrises that I have been able to witness in places that the vast majority of humanity has not had the privilege to enjoy in person. I have always found it incredible to ponder how many places exist on earth that are basically impossible to wake up in for a sunrise unless you strap on a backpack and make the challenging journey on foot to get there.

Psalm 96:11-12 says “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it.” I take that to mean that not only is all creation to be glad and rejoice but that God made us as mankind to enjoy His creation and find joy in it as well. It is the quiet of a mountain lake with the mist rising and the sun just beginning to bathe the nearby peaks in its warmth that gives me some of the greatest opportunities to rejoice and exult in who God is because He makes Himself most visible to me by what He has created.

Even if you are not able to travel to a remote mountain lake that required the dedication of hiking over difficult terrain with a heavy pack for many hours to see God’s handiwork simply taking the time nearby your own home for a few minutes is also quieting to your soul and brings opportunity to focus on Him. Finding a pond in a park or a nearby trail or a sunset over a local lake is incredibly refreshing. The key is to slow down, listen to the quiet around you, and be thankful. God is indeed good and we should never cease to praise Him for this home he has given on this incredible planet called earth.