Yellowstone National Park, with its crystal-clear lake, majestic mountains, thundering waterfalls, and abundant wildlife, remains unrivaled as our family’s favorite vacation destination. A trip west without a stop in Yellowstone is incomplete.
A Faithful Yet Volatile Gem
Larger than some states, this treasure claims more wildlife, plant life, and eye-popping beauty than can be seen in one person’s lifetime. What pulls us back, however, are its thermal features—the mud pots, geysers, steam vents, and hot springs. We’re amazed at the explosive power that resides just under the earth’s surface. In some places it boils and sputters. In others it steams and overwhelms with the smell of sulfur. Geysers such as Old Faithful erupt regularly. A few explode rarely and unpredictably but with far greater force.
A Faithful or Volatile Choice
That variability, that volatile nature, too often reflects my spiritual life. God’s power, majestic and abundant, lies just below the surface. At times I spout a few religious platitudes. I say the right words and go through all the right motions. But I neglect God with my heart. I do nothing more than the minimum. I deliberately overlook obvious needs before me. Like the servant entrusted with one talent, I hide my God-given resources. I don’t add to them, and I certainly don’t multiply them by sharing and then teaching others to share. Instead, I become the center of my world.
Occasionally God’s presence and sweet-smelling aroma surround me, and everyone I meet can feel it. I reach out in God’s agape love. I ask God to work through me, to take total control, and to lead in all I say and do. I go the extra mile and look for opportunities to share God’s love with others.
The Road to Faithfulness
Periodically, to carry out commitments made, I dig intently to find God’s truth. I hunger for God’s word and the wisdom to implement it for my own good and that of others. I memorize Bible verses so I’m ready when I need to apply them to daily life or use them to lead others to a saving faith in Jesus. I pray, beseeching God for direction, discipline, and an overflow of all that is holy.
Much like Yellowstone, I’m ever changing. Unlike the geyser, I’m not always faithful.
In spite of its variety, Yellowstone never fails to display God’s creative force. That’s the kind of life I desire.
Just as Yellowstone Lake reflects the mountains around it, I want to reflect God’s beauty, majesty, and provision. In the same way trees, flowers, and grass emerge from the charred remains of devastating fires to grow stronger than before, I want to turn adversity into advantage. Like geysers reveal their source’s power, I want to show others the possibilities of God’s sovereignty in their lives. Similar to wildlife living in their natural habitat, I want to live according to God’s perfect plan. Above all, like waterfalls that carry only what flows from above, I want nothing but God’s will to flow through me.
May it be so, now and forever.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21 NIV).
