Here I stood, listening to the roar of the mighty Athabasca Falls, taking in the stunning view of sunlight as it lit up the mist, while my heart inside my head repeated over and over and over, “My God, How Great Thou Art!”
The stone monument nearby read:
Since the last in a dynasty of glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago, The Athabasca River has battled a trembling earth. Abandoned channels, potholes and deep canyons in some of the hardest rock in Jasper National Park mark the ancient battle lines. Today, the battle continues upstream at the 25-metre falls. This trail offers a 20-minute visit to one battleground in a land of many. It is a dangerous please so please stay behind the guard rails.
This image taken May 25th, at 10:15 a.m., captures the spirit of this monument completely. The power of the water running over these giant stones was intense. It was easy to believe the story of the river in battle with a trembling earth.
It also brought instantly to my mind the eternal battle being waged around the world for the hearts and minds of those far from God. In one crystal clear image I was drawn to the words of Jesus as He sat teaching during the Feast of Booths (see John 7). What stunned those great teachers in the temple was His ability to speak so clearly, communicate so effectively, with authority and influence, because Jesus had received no formal training like they had.
Think of the stubbornness born out of rote ritual and legalistic thinking as the stones of the mountain, and the words of Jesus spoken in love as the river water doing battle against the walls of human thinking. These water falls, to my mind, are these words of Jesus to the Pharisees that day, and yes to all the world, to every person alive today:
John 7:37-38
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
Today as you read these words, as you view this image, trust in Jesus to quench the thirst in your heart for meaning, purpose, and life. Only Jesus has the power to give eternal life.
As I was saying... 