Let Us Kneel Before the Lord Our Maker

I love Yosemite. As a kid, my family was fortunate to live close enough to visit this spectacular place each spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season is special and unique, but I enjoy autumn the most.

In my 20s I would spend one week of my vacation each autumn absorbing the beauty of Yosemite. I prepared by visiting my local library and checking out a stack of books to read; my guitar and notebook were packed and ready in case the inspiration for a new song came to me; my bicycle was secured to the rack on my car; and my well-worn Bible was carefully packed in my suitcase.

Daytime temperatures lingered in the low 70s, making my daily adventures cool and comfortable. With the lack of crowds in the fall season, I established a routine that included a multi-destination bike ride. My first stop was Yosemite Falls with it’s usual spectacular rush of water significantly reduced as the snow from the high country ebbed away. I enjoyed sitting at the bottom of the lower falls, listening and watching as the water began its trek through the valley.

An invigorating seven mile ride led me to Mirror Lake, another special destination. I gazed in awe at the reflection of Half Dome in the still water and wondered how this place could be so incredibly beautiful. A short distance away, I paused to watch the slow, quiet waters of the Merced River amble through the rocks and trees with barely a ripple.

Adding a few more miles to my journey, I reached a meadow with a breathtaking view of El Capitan, the massive granite monolith that rises 3,000 feet from base to summit. Brave climbers, with their heavy load of ropes, cams, and carabiners, were small moving dots against the backdrop of the massive gray rock.

Finally, I returned to my room at the lodge, exhausted, yet invigorated by the amazing things I had seen and experienced. My heart was full after spending the day immersed in God’s incredible creation. I sat with my guitar and played simple choruses such as “He is Lord” and “Glorify Thy Name” in praise to the One who quickened my senses with beauty and grandeur. Opening my Bible, God reminded me of a special passage of scripture:

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.
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.

Psalm 95:1-7 (NASB)