“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1
Since we have been dealing with Covid-19 throughout the past 18 months, vacation trips to far away places have been few and far between. When my sister who lives in Florida called and said she would love to take a trip to get away from the heat and humidity, I suggested Alaska! No heat and plenty of daylight! It sounded like a good plan. So, we booked a cruise to Alaska’s inside passage. Neither of us had ever been to Alaska! Named “Seward’s icebox” in the history books, it has always piqued my interest. We were not prepared…………
A friend asked me “What was the most memorable thing you experienced?” I had to think about that for awhile, but came to the conclusion that it was not anything man-made, it was the natural beauty of God’s creation and the spiritual dimension of a Bible study we attended that made the trip memorable. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1. It’s hard to describe the beauty of the mountains, glaciers and waterfalls all in the same picture frame! As the ship cruised north of Seattle, the mountains came into view. It rained every day, but through the mist and the clouds, we could view the mountain chains along the coastline. We had booked an outside cabin with a balcony and had made plans to sit and enjoy the view, but it was too cold. Water, and rain kept our balcony wet, so we spent little time there, but everywhere we looked the scenery was glorious!
We were not prepared…… for the Bible study each morning as part of the ship’s itinerary. We decided to try it out! It’s always a blessing to meet other believers and to greet them later on the ship. The pastor who spoke each morning read from Mark 14-16 about the betrayal of Jesus, His death and resurrection. In the Word with other believers was a great way to begin the day!
Alaska has an interesting history. The towns we visited were built in the gold rush days of the late 19th century. Men came from all over the world to see if they could “strike it rich.” Almost overnight, towns sprang up! However, they were built quickly on flimsy foundations and did not last through the frigid Alaskan winters. It made me think of the “foolish man” in Matthew 7:26-27 who built his house on the sand. The rains came and the wind blew and beat on the house and it fell with a crash. The buildings had no foundation and had to be rebuilt later on solid ground. It made me think of my spiritual foundation. Am I building my life on the solid ground of God’s Word or do I spend my life running around in circles trying to satisfy my own desires? How do I want my children and grandchildren to remember me? Always acquiring more “things,” or firmly planted in God’s Word and waiting for His return?
I am in my later years. If the Lord gives me the strength to live into my 80’s or 90’s, will my life have purpose? I am a Covid-19 survivor and a cancer survivor. So far, the medical profession has patched me up and sent me home and I feel relatively healthy. But what is our life? It is a vapor that appears for a little time then vanishes away! James 4:14. Only knowing Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior has made the difference in my life. It has given my life meaning and purpose and I know He will protect me and care for me until He takes me home. “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever,” Psalms 125:2.
Your friend, Jean