A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Bryce
Canyon from Sunset Point looking down to Wall Street
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
"A
Steady
Walk"
Listen
to this
message on your audio player.
"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him" (Psalm 128:1).
During our western trip we visited Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. Interestingly, unlike the Grand Canyon, Bryce is not actually a canyon (see here). Bryce Canyon is known for its very interesting rock formations which you see from various scenic points in the park. We thought the best view was from Sunset Point, looking out over an area known as the amphitheater with many of the park's most famous features; the hoodoos, which are tall, thin spires of rock protruding from the bottom. Another great vista was Inspiration Point.
As we stood on Sunset Point we saw people far below us walking on trails and, after some hesitation, we decided to hike the Navajo Loop Trail which descends into the hoodoos with an elevation drop of 500 feet. (That would be similar to a fifty story building.) The scenic but very wearying hike was one of the top highlights of our trip. As we went down, down, down we realized that there would be a point we would need to go up, up, up. And indeed there was, though the going up was a lot slower with breaks worked in as needed!
Bryce Canyon National Park
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Message
summary: A
great goal in this life will be to victoriously
declare "I made it by the grace of God" in the life
hereafter. Day by day it's step by step on a steady
walk!
Listen
to this
message on your audio player."Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him" (Psalm 128:1).
During our western trip we visited Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. Interestingly, unlike the Grand Canyon, Bryce is not actually a canyon (see here). Bryce Canyon is known for its very interesting rock formations which you see from various scenic points in the park. We thought the best view was from Sunset Point, looking out over an area known as the amphitheater with many of the park's most famous features; the hoodoos, which are tall, thin spires of rock protruding from the bottom. Another great vista was Inspiration Point.
As we stood on Sunset Point we saw people far below us walking on trails and, after some hesitation, we decided to hike the Navajo Loop Trail which descends into the hoodoos with an elevation drop of 500 feet. (That would be similar to a fifty story building.) The scenic but very wearying hike was one of the top highlights of our trip. As we went down, down, down we realized that there would be a point we would need to go up, up, up. And indeed there was, though the going up was a lot slower with breaks worked in as needed!
Our hike
provides an illustration for today's message. All
through the Bible the life of faith is described as a
walk. The first reference of this type is when "Enoch
walked faithfully with God; then he was no more,
because God took him away" (Genesis 5:24). In
Genesis 17:1 God spoke to Abraham, "I am God
Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless."
The
Psalmist wrote, "Blessed are all who fear the
Lord, who walk in obedience to Him" (Psalm
128:1). The prophets used this theme in passages such
as Jeremiah 6:16, "This
is what the LORD says: 'Stand at the crossroads
and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the
good way is, and walk in it, and you will find
rest for your souls.' But you said, 'We will not
walk in it'". "He has showed you, O
man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of
you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk
humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
This
theme continues all through the Bible. Jesus said, "I
am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life" (John 8:12). It is used in the epistles
such as Paul's instruction, "So I say, walk by the
Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the
flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
Bryce Canyon's Navajo Loop Trail had a very clearly marked path that navigated our way into and out of the canyon. In life we also have a clearly marked path, what the writer of Hebrews calls "the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). If we pay close attention to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit's guiding and the Apostle's Doctrine we have a clearly marked path; that which guides us through this life and directs us toward our eternal destiny as we "walk in obedience to Him".
Bryce Canyon's Navajo Loop Trail had a very clearly marked path that navigated our way into and out of the canyon. In life we also have a clearly marked path, what the writer of Hebrews calls "the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). If we pay close attention to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit's guiding and the Apostle's Doctrine we have a clearly marked path; that which guides us through this life and directs us toward our eternal destiny as we "walk in obedience to Him".
The Navajo Loop Trail was
hard in places; painful to the knees and other joints
going down and a great workout for the cardio system
going up. But we stayed on the trail and, although
rather worn-out at the finish, we made it! That's a
great goal in this life so that we can also
victoriously declare "We made it by the grace of God"
in the life hereafter. Day by day it's step by step on
a steady walk!
Be
encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Heavenly
Father, as I stand at the crossroads of decision where
I am pulled in many directions, I direct my attention
to the well-worn path marked out by faithful followers
of God throughout the centuries – the faithful ones
who remained true to Your ancient law whose hearts did
not betray the One True God. With godly determination
I earnestly desire to follow in the steps of the
Master that leads me to find rest for my soul on earth
and secures a heavenly home where my soul will no
longer grow weary, be disheartened, or led astray by
the enemy who plots deadly detours in the path laid
out for the believer. By Your grace I move forward
step by step in Jesus' name I walk in obedience to
You". Amen.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Heavenly
Father, as I stand at the crossroads of decision where
I am pulled in many directions, I direct my attention
to the well-worn path marked out by faithful followers
of God throughout the centuries – the faithful ones
who remained true to Your ancient law whose hearts did
not betray the One True God. With godly determination
I earnestly desire to follow in the steps of the
Master that leads me to find rest for my soul on earth
and secures a heavenly home where my soul will no
longer grow weary, be disheartened, or led astray by
the enemy who plots deadly detours in the path laid
out for the believer. By Your grace I move forward
step by step in Jesus' name I walk in obedience to
You". Amen.Bryce Canyon National Park
This
long hike included a portion through
"Wall Street" which is a slot canyon.
Slot canyons are an interesting
feature of the American Southwest. I
don't recall ever hearing that term
applied to any geographical feature
here in the east although it's similar
to a glen such as Watkin's Glen in New
York or Ricketts Glen here in
Pennsylvania.
A slot canyon is defined as "a long, narrow, deep and tortuous channel or drainage way with sheer rock walls that are typically eroded into either sandstone or other sedimentary rock. A slot canyon has depth-to-width ratios that typically exceed 10:1 over most of its length and can approach 100:1."
A slot canyon is defined as "a long, narrow, deep and tortuous channel or drainage way with sheer rock walls that are typically eroded into either sandstone or other sedimentary rock. A slot canyon has depth-to-width ratios that typically exceed 10:1 over most of its length and can approach 100:1."
From the
trail the view of the hoodoos is
different than looking down on them. To
the left is probably the most famous
hoodoo, Thors Hammer.
A
view from the
top of the hike
after we finished our steep climb. We
looked down at those still climbing
and said, "Wow, we made it!"
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Bryce
Canyon from Inspiration Point
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
On
our trip we counted our blessings that
we're mobile, have good vision, and
still have energy when needed that we
often don't feel on a day to day
basis.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Step
By Step" Video Rich
Mullins
"Trust
And Obey" Video "When
we walk with the Lord"
Finally
today:
Yesterday
morning we stopped by the
Seyfert Orchards farm stand in Lebanon
County to
purchase apples. Apples are a great sign
of Autumn. From strawberries and
cherries in the spring to apples and
pumpkins in the autumn, and all the
wonderful fruit in between, we can mark
the seasons by the availability of
particular fruit during certain months
of each year.
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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