Seeking God in the Wilderness
posted by Sarah Gallagher
9Mar
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all this angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.
Psalm 149:1-6
On a recent camping trip, as I looked to the sky of Colorado from the mountains and took in the beauty surrounding, the anthem of this Psalm really sunk in. God’s creation is praising Him constantly; Christ is glorified in all His handiwork. Sometimes I lose this sense of wonder: the power of God and the splendor of His creation. For me, it took a hike into the wilderness to rediscover the intensity of Christ’s glory. His beauty as revealed through His creation astounds me!
In Psalm 149, the psalmist is filled with an abundant joy and adoration for our Savior. In his excitement he calls upon the skies, the angels, the creatures of the earth to all give praise to their Creator. God created us to glorify Him. His endless creativity is a testimony to His love for us. I am amazed that He would gift us with lush, green fields, intriguing rock forms, snow-capped mountains and rolling seascapes. At the same time, all of these wonders of nature praise their Creator. In Luke, Jesus tells the Pharisees that even if his followers were to stay silent, “the stones would cry out!”
I fear that too often I miss the splendor of the King as I busy myself with various activities and focus, too narrowly, on the chaos around me. Pausing to reflect on His breathtaking scenery and realizing that all of creation worships the King shifted my perspective and opened in me a fresh burst of adoration for my Lord. The eyes of my heart were opened and I realized more fully that I am here to glorify and point others to Christ. As His Creation, I am meant to bring honor to Him. Therefore, I must praise Him along with creation and glorify Him, for He is worthy to be praised!
About the Author
Sarah is a freshman at Belmont University where she is studying journalism and theater. She can be found snuggling up with a good book, discovering new music, riding in her car with the windows down (singing at the top of her lungs) and playing guitar on her front porch. She also enjoys writing music and lyrics. Her passions for traveling, ministry, and fighting social injustice foreshadow an exciting journalism career post-college. In the meantime, she hopes to go skydiving, take a stunt driving course, and go backpacking in the Rockies all while living a life that points others to her beautiful Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Sarah can be contacted via email at vagabond99@live.com.
