Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

One of my favorite spots in western Washington is a place called Mowich Lake located in Mt. Rainier National Park.

If you are not a hiker, it is perfect because you can just drive there. Of course, the drive is not on a four lane highway. It is a dusty, rough gravel road. As you climb higher and higher on the road at times you wonder where in the world you are going.

At the end of the road, however, is this stunning lake surrounded by trees and mountains on all sides. On a beautiful sunny day, you can see the top of Mt. Rainier. It is an amazingly peaceful place there surrounded by those centuries old mountains.

As you sit there by the mountain, you can listen to the breeze in the trees and the call of the birds. You can scan the sky for eagles or peer into the crystal-clear water to see your own reflection. The air is clean; the scent of the evergreen trees permeates the air. It is a comforting place there surrounded by the mountains.

If you are a hiker, you can take a short hike up to Eunice Lake where you are greeted by much the same view but with the addition of amazing flowers strewn through the meadows all around. You are surrounded by peaceful beauty.

Being surrounded can be a bad thing or a good thing. We can be surrounded by people that don’t like you and are out to get you. Armies can be surrounded by the enemy. Prey can be surrounded by lions. Physical storms surrounded us with blinding snow or driving rain. Floods can surround our house and make it an island.

Or we can be surrounded by good things. We can be surrounded by amazing family or friends who love us and stay by us.

I have a friend who likes to be surrounded at night by a weighted blanket to feel secure. I have other friends that like to be surrounded by their cats (not on my priority list at all). It makes them feel loved.

David gives us great imagery of being surrounded in Psalm 125:2: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.”

I like being surrounded by the mountains at Mowich and Eunice Lake. It is a peaceful contemplative place. I like even more being surrounded by God on all sides. That will give us peace in whatever storm we are facing.

Each day as we grow in our spiritual walk with God is would do us well to remember who is surrounding us.

Elisha used this concept to coach a new leader when his servant woke up one morning and found that the city where they lived was surrounded by the enemy soldiers that had come specifically to capture Elisha. He was not worried at all. Instead he used it as an illustration to grow and coach his servant. He prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant so that he could see the forces of God that were all around and that vastly outnumbered the enemy (II Kings 6:16-17).

As you grow in your spiritual walk, remember that no matter what you are facing God has more forces for you than that are against you. Remember that and rest easy in that. But also take the time to help someone else see the power of God surrounding you and protecting you from the evil forces that have come to capture you and try do you harm. God’s forces are greater!