Taking the High Road
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Psalm 97:9 (ESV)
Driving North, into the Pocono Mountains, I got to see the world from some low valleys and the higher peaks. (PA does not have the highest peaks!)
The trees right at the road when I was down low looked like they were almost ready for winter. There were mostly bare branches with only a few leaves. But, looking up onto the hills, there was an array of Fall colors. The view was pretty, with plenty of green so the next few days should get more colorful.
Isn’t it true that the high view is always better? Passing over mountains, looking across a valley, was really beautiful.
When we look at life on a horizontal level, we see the problems of the world, the sin nature of the people around us, and the corrupted plans of God for the world.
As we look up or across when we’re already at a higher altitude, we can see that God is at work. We know He is not unaware of, but in fact is sovereign over, every detail of life – ours and others’.
Listening to a sermon about the inerrancy of scripture while driving, I was reminded of how we get that high view. For us, it is not just a matter of looking up to see and appreciate a beautiful scene in the hills or skies.
If we do not have an understanding of the Word of God and the great gifts He has given us, our view is limited no matter how good our eyes are. To see the view and not acknowledge and be thankful to the One who created it all, is to limit the appreciation of what is before us…to what God has put before us.
The simple truth is that gratitude increases the enjoyment we experience in what we see. The beauty of the changes in seasons, the growth in a relationship with a friend or family member, even the birth of a baby become wonderful in our eyes when we understand enough of God’s Word to know that He has provided these for us.
The high view is a faithful, understanding and knowledgeable view. Faith in what God’s Word says, understanding of who He is and knowledge of what He has done for us. Add to these thanksgiving and the view becomes even better.
Faith in the truths of God’s Word when we are seeing the horizontal view of empty branches is what gives us the hope to look up, to take the higher view or travel on the higher roads so we can get a full picture of what our great and awesome God is doing.
The high road is characterized by faith, understanding, and knowledge. It is lined with thanksgiving. Let’s take it.