One of the greatest things about going up to the mountains is that it brings perspective to the troubles we face in the valley. When you are looking down at Yosemite valley or looking up at the giant redwoods in Kings canyon you immediately get a sense of perspective. You begin to wonder, “‘Why was I so worried about the price of gas this week?’ ‘Do I really need to be anxious about the problems of the day?’” Just last weekend I was looking over the beautiful vista of Shaver Lake and I had a deep sense of peace, “Why worry? I know God is in control.”
It certainly helps to go up to the mountains to get perspective on life, but I have found the more I study the Bible the less I need to go somewhere to find peace and renewal for my soul. Psalm 121 says, “I lift my eyes up to the hills, from where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber… The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever more.” (English Standard Version)
What a powerful principle! If you know how to study God’s word you can save some gas money and renew your mind from the comfort of your own home. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The difficult part of discerning the will of God is comparing your thoughts and feelings to what God’s word says. You may be tempted to worry about what will happen tomorrow. But the Bible repeatedly tells us, “Don’t worry. Trust God.”
Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Mt. 6:34) It is that simple. Christians do not need to be consumed with worry about anything that is happening tomorrow because God has everything under control.
Even when bad things happen the Christian can be at ease. Romans 8:28 reminds us that the Christian’s sense of peace is undergirded by the sovereignty of God, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Those who deny God can never experience this kind of peace until they submit their lives to God. If you are the “god” of your own life then you will never find lasting peace because you can never guarantee that bad things will turn out good for you. The God of the Bible is able to guarantee a positive outcome. He is able to turn even the worst situation (the death of Christ) into the best situation (the glory of God and the salvation of sinners).
The perspective of the Bible goes even further than turning a negative situation to a neutral situation. The Bible actually makes it possible for the Christian to have joy in the midst of difficulties. That is why James 1:3 says, “Consider it all joy my brothers when you encounter trials of various kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance and endurance when it has it’s full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” God is able to use the most difficult problems in life help believers to grow in Godliness.
Where else can you go to have your perspective genuinely changed from negative to positive? I have found that it can only be done with the supernatural help of God’s word. That is the only place we can learn that our sins are paid for. It is the only place we can have “the peace that surpasses understanding that will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) The deeper we dig into the goldmine of God’s word, the more richly we will strengthen ourselves with the supernatural perspective of our creator God.
