As I shared last week, drifting is dumb. I've found myself in this odd season of going through motions and not truly serving God. I certainly haven't walked away or stopped believing, not even a little, but I've been tempted to do both those things. I've heard whispers that Jesus isn't God, whispers that I'm not worthy, and whispers that quite frankly, need to stop.
I've written of these whispers before. I've shared what they've done to me. I've also shared what God has done.
Over the past month or so, I've noticed mountains a lot. As a kid and teen, I would hear my Mom often say look at the mountains. They're beautiful. And I'd laugh and mock her. I remember, I think last year some time, I called her and said "the mountains look beautiful. I thought you should know that" and she laughed because she already knew that.
Anyway, this month, the mountains have just looked spectacular. On my drive to work, there is one stretch where I drive down a hill facing the most beautiful sight. Each morning I think of God and how He is the creator of all things.
As I drove from church over to my parent's place Sunday, the mountains were practically screaming WORSHIP OUR CREATOR, and so I did. As I drove, I thought of these words, tried to stop crying because crying and driving is a bad combination, and I worshiped.
I look to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of Heaven and of Earth.
Through my drive, I sang worship and just spend some beautiful quality time giving praise to my God.
I pulled into the last stretch of the drive and saw the most majestic of all mountains and nearly cried again, but this time, for a different reason.
I think I understand why people choose to worship creation.
It's so beautiful. It's so wonderful.
Yet I cried because worship creation will get you no where.
It won't satisfy because creation can't save you.
Creation isn't something you can put your trust in. Creation isn't anything, except an arrow; an arrow pointing straight to its Creator.
I serve the Creator of the Universe.
I am saved by the Creator, who made Himself a servant, who came to earth, lived a sinless life, serving and loving, teaching and helping, who died on a cross, not because He had done anything wrong, but because He was different than expected. He laid down His life on His own accord, and bore the wrath of God on Him, and the earth literally went black.
As I read the scripture around the sermon being preached yesterday at church, my heart noted how the sun's light failed.
As I read those words of the sun, I pictured a crowd of angels in charge of blocking the sun for those 3 hours, in tears knowing that Jesus was alone and without God for the first time so that anyone who calls upon His name will never ever be alone.
I know that picture is probably inaccurate and not theologically sound, but I do think there is something stunningly beautiful and sorrowful about it.
Jesus was killed. And then He rose again, appearing like a gardener to Mary, because the garden had been brought full circle. The garden where sin had entered was now being tended by the One whom sin had never entered.
God made the mountains that I look upon. My help comes from Him.
