More Dazzling Than Mountains

You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.

Psalm 76:4

Psalm 76 celebrates the justice and strength of God, who “breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him” (76:12). He is truly “glorious,” “even more majestic than the everlasting mountains” (76:4). The word translated here as “glorious” means, literally, “lighted up” or “shining.” God’s glory glows even more stunningly than the mountains at sunset.

I love mountains. I love hiking in them, climbing them (as long as the trail is not too treacherous), and peering down on the world from the top of them. Most of all, I love gazing at them. Something about their bigness and beauty captures my soul. Mountains make me yearn. Their majesty humbles and inspires me.

But mountains are not there simply to impress us with their own glory. Rather, they point to the One who made them, whose magnificence exceeds them beyond all measure. No doubt, God has given us the wonders of the natural world to delight us. Yet these gifts also serve to remind us of the even greater wonder of the Creator.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Which elements of the natural world inspire you most? How can these glories point you to the glory of their Creator?

PRAYER: O God, how I thank you for the majesty of the natural world. Not only that, I thank you for creating me with the ability to perceive and enjoy such beauty.

Yet may I always remember that nature is your canvas. The excellence of art points to the even greater excellence of the artist. Indeed, dear Lord, you are glorious, more majestic than the highest mountains. So, even as I delight in the dwarfing grandeur of the mountains, or the resplendent glow of a sunset, or the calming rhythm of a gentle surf, may the eyes of my heart always look up to you, the all-powerful, all-glorious Creator. Amen.