Glory in the Grandeur 

I grew up in the foothills of the of the Appalachian Mountains where I spent many nights camping and many days hiking the trails. I have always loved the mountains and would choose them over any other vacation destination. The Appalachian Mountains were nearly ruined for me the first time I saw the Rocky Mountains. As I drove through Glacier National Park I was literally speechless. I realized for the first time that my mountains back home could hardly be considered mountains. I was awestruck. If you have never seen the Rocky Mountains, then you have not experienced one of the most astounding displays of God’s creation. My amazement lasted a long time, at least until I saw the Himalayans last year. There is a big difference between flying over the Rocky Mountains and flying past Mt. Everest.  Words and pictures cannot accurately depict the grandeur of the mountains. Once I had seen and experienced them it gave me a deep longing to see more views, hike more trails, and climb more rock faces. The mountains never get old for me because there is always something new to experience. Every experience displays God’s glory in a new and unique way. When we observe the life of Moses in the Bible, it is evident that he saw the glory of God more than most humans that have ever lived. He witnessed the ten plagues that God sent upon Egypt. He stood on the edge of the Red Sea as the Lord split the water and made a completely dry path for the Israelites to pass through. The whole time he was being led by a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of clouds during the day. God then led the people to Mt. Sinai where he had them rest as he hovered over the mountain with a “devouring fire.” There is a stark contrast between the way Moses and the rest of the Israelites responded to these miraculous events. The Israelites essentially ignored what God was doing and discounted his legitimacy entirely. God freed them from years of suffering and abuse and they complained about the food they were given. There was nothing that could be done to satisfy their selfish hearts. Moses was never satisfied either, but in a different way. After Moses witnessed the wonders of God he said, “Please show me your glory (Exodus 33:18).” Moses wasn’t satisfied because recognized the supremacy of the eternal God he worshipped. He was hungry for more of God. God graciously allowed Moses to see his back as he passed by but told him that if Moses saw his face he would instantly die. Just as one trip to the mountains will never fully satisfy me, the glory of God that we see will never be enough. We were created worship God and reflect his glory. This is our eternal task that God has graciously granted to us but yet, in this life we completely fail to accomplish. We act a lot like the Israelites when we only look for God’s glory in the big events but forget about him in our day to day lives. We are not called to worship God at specific times or places. We are created to worship him at all times and in all places. Whether we are on top of the mountain or sitting at an office desk, God is still worthy of our worship.