Solid Ground

We got home a few days ago after traveling to Trail Days, a festival celebrating hikers who have completed or are working their way through the Appalachian Trail.

The trail stretches over 2,190 miles (3,524+ km) from Georgia to Maine and meanders through the Appalachian Mountains.

I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but I’m pretty sure these mountains weren’t around on Day 3 of Creation.

Here’s a recap of our topic for May and June:

Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

Genesis 1:9-13 NLT

Back to our beautiful mountain range. The Appalachian Mountains were formed when two continental plates collided and one got pushed under the other. The now-under layer pushed the now-upper layer up into the air, and voila! Mountains!

Since then erosion has worn away the tips of these peaks, which may have been as high as those now found in the Himalayas and Alps.

On that note, here’s an extra for you. The Himalayas are still growing, thanks again to plate tectonics. The Indian subcontinent continues to shove its way under Asia, pushing the mountain peaks ever higher.

Shifting Sod

Every earthquake brings plate tectonics out into the open. Without them, it’s easy to forget we’re not really standing on solid ground. What’s under our feet is more like an oversized dinner plate floating around on top of molten lava!

God didn’t create a world that would stay the same forever. Instead, he created it to constantly change.

We watch change happen all around us every year, but yet there are still things we take for granted. Physical strength, family relationships, economic standing, health, and mental capacity are a few things we rely on to remain steady when in fact any one of them could change in a moment.

I’m not here to sow seeds of fear; simply to remind us that our solid ground is not as firm or reliable as we imagine it to be!

Solid Ground

Although God created a constantly changing world, He himself never changes (James 1:17). HE is the solid Rock we can rely on when everything else around us falls to pieces. “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety” (Psalm 18:2 NLT).

Another solid foundation God gave us is the wisdom found in Christ’s teachings: “I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins” (Luke 6:47-49 NLT).

Even more than that, Christ’s death made a way for us to stand boldly before God: “Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it” (Colossians 1:22-23).

Take a Step

Friend, what are you standing on? Is it lasting, solid ground to the end? Or is it shifting sod that could change at any moment?

If you’re unsure, I know without a doubt that God wants you to search him out. His fingerprints are found everywhere in nature, his character is woven through the Bible, and his love is reaching out for you today. Take a step onto solid ground!