Go Until We Get There

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1,2 (NKJV)

What a blessing it is to be able to lift up our eyes and get a grand view of the mountains. Better than that is the opportunity to get to drive into them as my husband and I have done for years in a family tradition. One that started with our daughter and has now carried over to our grandchildren.

Frequent trips taken and adventured through the hillside terrain of rough and dirty roads just to see who would win the award for spotting the first deer or yell at the first cattle guard to see everyone raise their feet. Stopping at favorite locations such as the 100 year old school house while exploring new areas and taking on the challenge of trying to see where the juniper trees of the High Desert ends and the pine trees of the high mountains begin.

Every trip showing the true exquisiteness of God’s artwork that from my home looked like nothing but large mounds of purplish blue dirt with nothing to offer, only seen as unique when capped with the winter snow. An error easily corrected by simply drawing closer to them to see what God has to reveal turning the blue piles of nothing into something with form, color, and attractiveness.

A thing not only full of color but life as well as seen in the eloquence of the deer or elk jumping over downed trees, chipmunks and squirrels scrambling up tall timbers, crickets and frogs singing in harmony, as birds take flight to pass over it all as if to keep an eye on God’s artwork below. Each and everything pointing towards the Creator of it all, God himself, as His fingerprints show up on every item. The writer of the Psalm knew this in his heart as he put it to paper the thought about where his help came from.

To often in our lives we make the mistake of not knowing where our true help comes from, we turn to all sorts of false aid that never seem to do the trick. Alcohol, drugs, sex, money, recreation, hobbies or such used in a wrong manner to supply help to our souls when our answers are in the mountains. Not in the trees or the animals themselves, or the atmosphere of peace you find there but in the Creator of the heaven and earth itself, God. Who better qualified to supply that help needed and assist in the aid sought!

Frequently in our lives the distance between God and us can be just like that of the mountain. From far away God appears to be just a big Godhead in the sky with very little form or color. However as we draw closer to Him, His true beauty begins to stand out in the forms of the attractiveness of His love, the warmth of His companionship, and value of His mercy and grace.

Things that cannot be seen from a distance soon change as we draw nearer to the Lord in a gradual process no different than driving slowly up into the mountains. A trip worth taking that will eventually get you there if you keep moving forward in the right direction. It's important that we don't let the narrow, rough dirty roads in life slow us down in our journey to get closer to God.

Just like any travel adventure we must come prepared. In the car we always make sure we have a spare tire, extra food, knowledge of where we are going and the determination to go until we get there. Our journey to draw closer to God needs to be done in the same way, throwing in any extra spiritual food we can obtain from His Word. While tucking away additional strength as well as the determination needed to set out on our expedition.

Approaching our journey with the attitude of “I’m going to go until I get there.” Not allowing anything to stop us from reaching that point where we are so close to God that He is no longer a distant Godhead in the sky but a close Father, friend, and Savior in our heart.

If you really think about it there is another way that the mountains and God are very similar. As you head off towards the mountains you can rest assure that they will be there when you get there, they aren’t going anywhere. The same holds true for God, He will always be there. Our journey will never be in vain. It can’t be an annual trip we take, a summer vacation we plan for a week, or a journey that has no purpose or true destination. No, it's a voyage that begins with faith; running on trust that basically has no end. We are the ones that need to “hit the road,” getting busy shortening the distance between God and ourselves.

How is this possible? A good start is lifting our eyes to the hills and recognizing the fact that we do need help and the Creator of all is the only one capable of supplying it. From there trust and faith step in on the drive, intermixed with the studying of the Bible which serves as God’s road map to take on every trip, to guide down every road. Once the distance is gone and the gaps between our Lord and us are shortened it becomes an expedition of “walking close with Him.” Indeed a worthwhile journey available to all who are willing to go until they get there.

Dear Heavenly Father thank You that Your beauty is not hidden. Its there for us to see if we would only do what it takes to “go until we get there” and see what You have to offer, the beauty, love, joy, peace, and salvation that is ours. Ours to enjoy awaiting our willingness to make the journey to draw closer to You. Forgive us Lord for the times in our lives that we have the tendency to move away instead of closer. Putting the blame on You for being the one who moved instead of taking the responsibility ourselves. In Your Son’s most precious name we pray, Amen.

Copyright 2007 by Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing