God’s eternal power and divine nature are apparent in the beautiful things he has created. Remember today, when you look outside at the world around you, to praise the Creator, not the creation.
Visit joniradio.org for photos of Joni and Ken's trip to Yosemite National Park!
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and God has got his people everywhere!
Especially in Yosemite National Park. The last time we met I shared a few stories about our vacation to this most amazing park, tucked deep into the High Sierra mountains of California. It is a massive park covering 1,200 square miles with elevations ranging from 2,000 to 13,000 feet. Yosemite is famous for its giant, ancient sequoia trees, for the iconic vistas of Bridal Veil Fall and towering granite cliffs. One of those cliffs is El Capitan, a gigantic monolith that soars 3,000 feet, straight up off the Yosemite valley floor. It’s a great place for rock climbers!
And while Ken and I and our friends were meandering the many paths throughout the valley, we stopped when we saw a bunch of people staring up at El Capitan with binoculars. They were watching several rock climbers who were halfway up on the sheer face of the granite wall using ropes and carabiners. Someone standing near us explained that those climbers were getting ready to secure their tents – that’s right, they anchor this little tent to the side of the granite wall, and climbers sleep suspended on the side of the face; and there they are, several thousand feet straight up. Oh, my goodness. Well, Ken and I were transfixed. He had his binoculars with him and was able to spot the tiny figures in their colorful climbing garb, but I had the hardest time trying to pinpoint them.
After standing there for a while, watching, a couple approached us and asked if I was, well, they asked if I was Joni on the radio, the lady on the radio. Their names were Tom and Kathy and they lived back east in the Hudson River valley. And they listen to this program every day on Christian radio, and they wanted to thank me for sharing my stories and what I’ve learned over the years in God’s Word about suffering. Well, after a bit, our talk turned to the men who were up there risking their lives on the side of that granite wall. We all commented, “Man, I sure hope they know Jesus, because they sure are taking their lives into their own hands.” Well, the next thing I knew, Tom and Kathy and Ken and me, we all circled up and we began praying for those climbers, right there. That God would keep them safe. That if they did not know Jesus Christ, that they would meet some climber who did and would share the Gospel with them. We prayed Romans 1 over them, that they would not worship the beautiful creation that was evident all around, but that they would worship the Creator. On and on we went, praying for the salvation of those climbers, and we included everyone else who was standing there mesmerized, watching with their binoculars. It was a very special time with Tom and Kathy, and we all shared that we hoped we might meet those men up there on the granite wall one day, we might meet them in heaven.
Romans 1:19-20 say, “What may be known about God is plain to [everyone], because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Oh, my. And you certainly can see God’s eternal power and divine nature in that massive monolith, that rock of ages known as El Capitan. Tom and Kathy, if you’re listening back there in New York state, thank you for praying with us. And friend, don’t forget to visit joniradio.org today to enjoy my collection of photos that we snapped while we were up at Yosemite National Park. Yup, we even got one of El Capitan. God bless you today, and thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends