Rock Climbing

 

With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:25-30 ESV).

 

Stawamus Chief is a magnificent granite monolith in British Columbia. One of the sides is a sheer cliff, which hikers and climbers refer to as the Grand Wall (pictured here). When you drive by the Chief, you can sometimes see colorful specks part way up the Grand Wall. If you look closely, you’ll see that those are actually people climbing up the face of the mountain. It is located adjacent to Shannon Falls Provincial Park, alongside the Sea To Sky Highway 99 in Squamish, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. It is the second largest granite monolith in the world, providing a fabulous site as you travel the scenic highway from Vancouver to Whistler. Established in 1997, the 1,300 acre park provides rock climbing opportunities of international significance.

 

Rock climbers need special harnesses, ropes, shoes, clips, and helmets. It’s time-consuming to set up and challenging to climb, even with all the right equipment.

In today’s reading David states, “With my God I leap over a wall” (v. 29). David was a warrior who, with God’s help, led many successful battles against local enemies who often raided and harassed God’s people. God provided help, resources, and protection, and David knew he could do nothing without God’s constant care. So even while climbing a wall in battle, he could say, “God is with me.”

 

That knowledge may be the single most important truth for any believer. Especially in these times of challenge, we must know that nothing is impossible with our God. What may appear to be insurmountable becomes within our grasp as God guides and strengthens us.

 

Do you know that God is with you wherever you are, in whatever you are doing? Whether we are scaling a giant rock wall or driving along a road, whether we are working, playing, resting, or sleeping, God surrounds us and guides us. When we are aware of all this, we can also sing along with David: “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”