9-30-18 Today in the Word

Spiritual Geography: Mountains and Valleys in Scripture “LET THE MOUNTAINS SING TOGETHER FOR JOY” Sunday, September 30, 2018 | Psalm 98 At the end of The Last Battle, the final book in the Chronicle of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, the world ends. But the characters remain, and they are drawn to journey “further up and further in.” They realize that they are in the “real Narnia” and that the world they had known was but a “shadowland.” Cried one: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now.” This is Lewis’s fictional way of representing the “new heavens and new earth” promised in Scripture. As we conclude this month’s study of “Spiritual Geography: Mountains and Valleys in Scripture,” it’s appropriate to do so on a note of praise. Like us, creation groans under the weight of sin and “its bondage to decay” (Rom. 8:19–22). Like us, it will one day celebrate its redemption. In the meantime, it gives witness to its Creator and joins us in worship (see Ps. 19:1–4). Psalm 98 summons nature to join the congregation in singing. The sea and all creatures in it are invited to “resound,” the rivers to “clap their hands,” and the mountains to “sing together for joy” (vv. 7–8). This jubilation is warranted because God is coming “to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity” (v. 9). This month, we’ve seen that God is sovereign over all geographies—mountains, valleys, and everything in between. Mountains in Scripture are often a special place to meet God, and His justice and faithfulness are often evident in the valleys. Through this study, we hope you’ve gained a renewed appreciation for God’s presence in every place and every stage of life. APPLY THE WORD What lessons has the Lord taught you through this month’s devotions? What truths has He shown you about Himself and His Word? As you reflect and pray over these questions, also praise Him for the answers! “Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people” (Isa. 49:13).