Natural Bridge Trail - Death Valley '10Psalms 40
This is yet another picture from Death Valley. Along the trail to the Natural Bridge we came across what was once a waterfall. The trail itself used to be a stream bed, and dry chutes have been carved out of the walls of the canyon over hundreds of years. Now, you'll have to lend me your imagination a little earlier on in this one, as it's so hard to imagine this same canyon as a swift stream with water pouring over the edges on both sides. This particular trail used to be a flood channel. Subsequently, it's less likely to have been the exotic (Avatar-esque) waterfall site and more likely that it was a dark and dangerous passageway for muddy waters with boulders jutting out of the draining river.
Sometimes life's course mimics this same geographical scenario. A dark and dangerous passageway for muddy water. One can never choose how life comes at us, but we have options as to how we deal with it. We can go with the flow and hope we don't drown in the swirling currents; doing our best to avoid being bashed against the boulders and rocky cliff walls. Or we can yield to God, let ourselves be saved and led out of the situation.
In the above-mentioned scripture, 'He brought me up' comes from the root Hebrew word 'alah,'
Only God can exalt us, and cause us to excel in the midst of our troubles. If we allow him to, we will find ourselves safely on a rock and with a new plan for our lives. No matter how deep we've gotten ourselves into something, God can get us out. The word establish is kün,
כּוּן
which means to fix, to direct, to arrange, to prepare, to be [make] firm. So whatever it is, you're covered. If you screwed it up along the way--He fixed it. If you weren't sure whether or not you were ever going to get there--its been arranged and prepared for. If you had no clue where you were headed in the first place--it's directed and firmly established. This is the rock, a firm anchor for our faith in God that he will deliver us. Stand upon this belief that He will take care of you.
So let God do what He does best and save us. But after that, don't go off on your own so you can fall into another miry mess, let Him show you how best to avoid these pitfalls in life. Let Him bring you through your destiny so you can discover and complete your purpose in life. I say through your destiny because contrary to popular misconception, it is not a destination. Your destiny is a course of events and circumstances. You don't just get there one day, its a journey. One thing that's important to remember about life is that it is not a one-way, dead end road. It is a passage from one form of existence to another. Not like, human>lizard>beetle>bird...but human being>spiritual being with no definite 'end'.
And what are your life's present troubles when you have eternity to consider?
Hmm...? ;)
Photos by Arina Borodina
More Info on Natural Bridge Trail
Lexicon of Pslams 40
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.
This is yet another picture from Death Valley. Along the trail to the Natural Bridge we came across what was once a waterfall. The trail itself used to be a stream bed, and dry chutes have been carved out of the walls of the canyon over hundreds of years. Now, you'll have to lend me your imagination a little earlier on in this one, as it's so hard to imagine this same canyon as a swift stream with water pouring over the edges on both sides. This particular trail used to be a flood channel. Subsequently, it's less likely to have been the exotic (Avatar-esque) waterfall site and more likely that it was a dark and dangerous passageway for muddy waters with boulders jutting out of the draining river.
Sometimes life's course mimics this same geographical scenario. A dark and dangerous passageway for muddy water. One can never choose how life comes at us, but we have options as to how we deal with it. We can go with the flow and hope we don't drown in the swirling currents; doing our best to avoid being bashed against the boulders and rocky cliff walls. Or we can yield to God, let ourselves be saved and led out of the situation.
In the above-mentioned scripture, 'He brought me up' comes from the root Hebrew word 'alah,'
עָלָהwhich in a majority of its 895 mentions points to some sort of vertical travel/effort with both active and passive implications. However, it can also be translated (read: transliterated) as to rouse (mentally), to exalt, to cause to grow, and to cause to excel. Taken from this lesser known point of view, we can surmise that part of our rescue is a mental transformation and progression. This is a perfectly plausible notion seeing as the verse itself is figurative (though possibly literal) and life's troubles are generally perceived. The weight and severity of our problems is directly correlated to how much we allow ourselves to worry about them. Worrying is a mental state of uneasiness (and can also mean to attack [the mind] roughly.) So if we allow God to restore our minds--transform them entirely, then we can make it through whatever issues come at us.
Only God can exalt us, and cause us to excel in the midst of our troubles. If we allow him to, we will find ourselves safely on a rock and with a new plan for our lives. No matter how deep we've gotten ourselves into something, God can get us out. The word establish is kün,
כּוּן
which means to fix, to direct, to arrange, to prepare, to be [make] firm. So whatever it is, you're covered. If you screwed it up along the way--He fixed it. If you weren't sure whether or not you were ever going to get there--its been arranged and prepared for. If you had no clue where you were headed in the first place--it's directed and firmly established. This is the rock, a firm anchor for our faith in God that he will deliver us. Stand upon this belief that He will take care of you.
So let God do what He does best and save us. But after that, don't go off on your own so you can fall into another miry mess, let Him show you how best to avoid these pitfalls in life. Let Him bring you through your destiny so you can discover and complete your purpose in life. I say through your destiny because contrary to popular misconception, it is not a destination. Your destiny is a course of events and circumstances. You don't just get there one day, its a journey. One thing that's important to remember about life is that it is not a one-way, dead end road. It is a passage from one form of existence to another. Not like, human>lizard>beetle>bird...but human being>spiritual being with no definite 'end'.
And what are your life's present troubles when you have eternity to consider?
Hmm...? ;)
Photos by Arina Borodina
More Info on Natural Bridge Trail
Lexicon of Pslams 40
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