On the west coast of British Columbia we have mountains and hills, rivers and lakes, in abundance. They are jaw-dropping spectacular and provide an adventure playground for the locals and tourists from all over the world – especially Europe. Many say they love ‘the great outdoors’ – it’s their church, their spiritual source of refreshing and indeed these wild and majestic places are magnificent. They are intended to be awe-inspiring and to draw our eyes and hearts to one who created them; to have us wonder, “Who made all this? What mind and character could conceive of such beauty?” God reveals Himself through nature to draw us into His personal embrace. In essence He says, “If you think my creation is inspiring and refreshing to your spirit, wait until you meet me – my Son Jesus will introduce us – soon, I pray.”

To ignore the personal encounter with God is not that different to trespassing on a beautiful piece of property, using it for whatever I want, and totally ignoring the owner. In one of the ancient psalms the writer is inspired by the hills and mountains and celebrates the fact that they speak to him of God’s faithfulness. I drive through mountains every day and their solid presence is a great reminder to me of God the Father’s strength and never-changing love for me – one who is not self-created – but was also tenderly formed (and is held) by the same hands that formed the massive ‘outdoors’.

From my CD – Running Free – I lift my eyes…. The images here are from a hilltop in Northern Uganda – it’s a rugged retreat centre set aside to reflect, pray, be refreshed, and be loved into new life up close and personal. 🙂