“’To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?’ says the Holy One.” Isaiah 40:25

Walk His Way Revisited

The Mighty One

Have you ever stood in the presence of greatness—something that has been given the distinction of tallest, or strongest, or most beautiful? We expect a lot from something that is considered to be “the best” of its kind.

On vacation in Alaska, my husband and I stood in the presence of Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. We expected greatness. Strength. Majesty. The problem was, we couldn’t see it. McKinley has been nicknamed “the weather maker”—because of its height, it literally has the capacity to make its own weather. It is usually shrouded in a thick blanket of clouds and mists. A sad fact that the tour guides are quick to point out to disappointed tourists is that only 20% of the people who come seeking the awe-inspiring sight of McKinley ever get the chance to actually see it. We’d seen pictures of it, and heard tales of its greatness, but did not know it firsthand.

The mountains around it were the most beautiful I’d ever seen. Tall, jagged peaks stretched out in layers. It was so wondrous, I could not imagine that one of those tall peaks was not McKinley. For one whole day and night, we sought the view of the Great One (another nickname). We weren’t even sure where to look. Is it over there? Are we at least looking in the right direction? The tour guide assured us, when we saw it, we would know it. It is so massive, there would be no mistaking it for some other peak.

We were satisfied with the beauty of the surrounding peaks. Even if we never were given the chance to see McKinley firsthand, we still were filled with the beauty of second-best. Second best seemed incredible on its own. These other nearby, visible peaks became a distraction from seeking the Great One. We settled for what we could see and did not expect to see what was hidden at the moment.

This became an illustration of how I seek a glimpse of God. How I have wanted to apprehend Him! Yet there are many times that a curtain of His own making keeps me from seeing Him. Furthermore, I am often satisfied, even delighted, with second-best, with what is plainly in front of me, and do not continue to pursue finding Him. What I can see are mere distractions, and my thoughts that “this is good enough” make me lose the will to continue looking. Stopping short of the goal provides only a shallow delight. The distractions around us are mere shadows compared to the glory of knowing Him.

God has so much more for us. There is nothing like Him on the earth. May we never be satisfied with less than Him and His fullness.

Father, we desire only You. Keep us from settling for second-best. Give us the will to pursue You all the days of our life. Amen.