From the Desk of Jeff King

God's handiwork

Standing on the lip of Zigzag Canyon on Mt. Hood's southwest slope, I thought of Psalm 95 as I surveyed God's handiwork:

For the LORD is the great God

And the great King above all gods.

In His hand are the deep places of the earth;

The heights of the hills are His also.

The sea is His, for He made it;

And His hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture,

And the sheep of His hand.

Alisa and I reached the canyon via the Pacific Crest Trail, a trail system that links Canada and Mexico. We made the short hike from Oregon's Timberline Lodge and paused to snap photographs of the steep canyon below Zigzag Glacier. Overwhelmed by the beauty and raw power of God's creation, I looked up, raised my arms and recited the first words of a traditional Jewish brakhah (Hebrew for blessing): "Baruch attah Adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam." Translation: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe." I am not Jewish but I like to follow the lead of my Jewish Messiah. Yeshua invoked Hebrew blessings during His earthly ministry.

The Pacific Crest Trail between Timberline Lodge and White River Canyon.

The next afternoon the LORD blessed us twice. First, a stranger stopped us as we headed toward White River Canyon, our second day hike of the weekend. The man, who looked to be in his late 50s, told us a severe rain storm two years ago had triggered a massive mud and rock flow from White River Glacier, collapsing canyon walls and destroying a section of Highway 35. He said the soft, sandy soil along the ridge was unstable and warned us not to get too close to the edge. We thanked the stranger and moved on. I told Alisa I thought he was either an angel or a man sent by God to caution us. He was the only person we passed on this two-mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. I took his advice when we stopped to take pictures at an exposed overlook. I made sure my camera tripod was positioned a few feet from the ledge. The view toward Mt. Hood was breathtaking.

God remembered us again on our return to Timberline Lodge. Struggling to hike in 90-degree heat, we took refuge under a shaded tree. Suddenly we felt a cool breeze brush against us. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Feeling refreshed after a brief pause, we rejoined the trail and made our way safely back to the lodge, where we would spend the night. We had peace knowing that Messiah Yeshua was our provider and protector. Click here for more photos and details of our Mt. Hood trip.