Night closed down upon the canyon…  He saw the fading red embers of his fire, the great looming pines, the black shadowy wall; he smelled the smoke and the tang of the forest; he heard the sound of the wind, the brawl of the brook, the wail of the coyotes.”
              –Zane Grey  (30,000 on the Hoof)

    “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.”
              –Psalm 125:2 (NKJV)
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The water from the rushing stream was so cold that it made my hands ache.  Upon following the stream to its source we found that it came directly from a large snow bank and further up the trail was a lake.  Annie and I had camped just below timberline on a level portion in the wind blown trees.  One thing about camping at timberline is that there is always plenty of wood to be found lying around.
    The nights up there were cold, but it was cozy sitting around the campfire drinking coffee and just being in one another’s company.  The moonlight shown brightly upon the stream as it splashed over rocks and the stars, my…one could never begin to count them.  In the comfort of our sleeping bags we could hear the sound of the cascading water and below us the cries of marmots.
    When morning came the sun shone brightly from the east upon our little camp.  I started the fire, put the coffee on while Annie prepared breakfast of eggs and bacon.  It was a time early in our lives when things were new.  Now it is something to recall, to reflect upon and think of the goodness of God.

         “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?”
                  –Psalm 121:1 (NASB)

Does our help come from the mountains?  Be careful, think through this before answering.  For sure it is not to the mountain that we pray.  It is not the mountains in which we put our trust.  However, mountains represent the government of God and when we are in need we look toward His abode and wait for Him to come sweeping down.

         “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.”
                  –Psalm 121:2-3 (NASB)

    I heard a powerful sermon last Sunday regarding the mountains and valleys of life.  They are continually in our life, more often than not we are in the valley, but we do have those times in the mountains.  Listen and ponder this:  “God explains Himself on the mountain; He exposes Himself in the valley.”  God takes us up on a mountain, as He did Moses, to learn of Him.  But we live in the valley.  We cannot bear the storms of the high country; the majesty, power, and magnificence of it would overwhelm us and as we learn of God we hear Him say, get back to the valley and use what I have taught you.  Remember that Peter, James, and John wanted to build tents and stay on the mountain, but Jesus said that there was work to be done down in the valley.
    Use the lessons of God on the mountain as you live and work in the valley.  God does not change.  He is God whether on the mountain or the valley or the desert or the sea.  Consider the following lyrics:

         “For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
          When things go wrong, He’ll make them right
          And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
          The God of the day is still God in the night.”
                    –Bill & Gloria Gaither

Being one who is apt to accept the situation and take it from there, I considered.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Lonely on the Mountain)

    “Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!'”
              –Haggai 1:5 (NKJV)
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One thing that is clearly seen in the Scriptures, and is on the lips of almost every prophet is the phrase, “Thus saith the Lord.”  In these perilous times it is vital that we know what God is saying.  We need to know the Word of God so we can stand on those words, “thus saith the Lord,” or as modern translations put it, “as the Lord has spoken” or “has said.”  Do you know His Word well enough to be at rest in the turbulence of the times?

           “‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
            Just to take Him at His Word;
            Just to rest upon His promise;
            Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’
                  –Louisa M.R. Stead

I find  myself often sighing when I see the goings on in the world and in the nation.  When I see the lies and the hatred of the media and people.  One reason for the sigh is that I know in Whom I have placed my trust.  My Lord will never fail me, and if worse comes to worst (death), I will be ushered into His presence.  Another reason for the sigh is the grief and pity for those who live daily not knowing that Jesus is the answer to their problems and their needs.

           “O, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
            Just to trust His cleansing blood;
            Just in simple faith to plunge me
            ‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood.

            Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
            Just from sin and self to cease;
            Just from Jesus simply taking
            Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.”

In the midst of death that is around me, I have life.  In the midst of unrest, turmoil, and rioting, I have rest and peace.  In the midst of all the hatred and bitterness, I have joy.  When I get away from self and turn to Jesus and keep my eyes upon Him the world is so much brighter and the toils of life so much lighter.

           “I’m so glad I learn’d to trust Thee,
            Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend;
            And I know that Thou art with me,
            Wilt be with me to the end.

                  Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
                  How I’ve prov’d Him o’er and o’er.
                  Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
                  O for grace to trust Him more.”

Faith is not hard, it is simply trusting Jesus.  It is relying upon Him–trusting Him.  He will be there in the midst of our lives.  Try Him, trust Him, lean upon Him, dare to rest in Him.
    The other day, Annie and I were discussing the chorus.  She thought that the last phrase should be “O for faith to trust Him more.”  We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  I started to ponder that.  Then I thought I might have caught a glimpse of what the author was saying.  In the midst of the lies, give me grace to see and lean upon the Truth.  In the midst of the hatred, give me the grace to love my enemies.  In the midst of the bitterness, give me the grace to have peace and rejoice.  Oh, give me the grace to not fall into the trap of the devil, but the “grace to trust Him more.”

It was a place I could have stayed forever.  How many times I have found such campsites!  Place so beautiful it gave a man the wistfuls to see or to think back on.  So many times we said, ‘We’ve got to come back some time!’ an’ knowin’ all the while we never would.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Lonely on the Mountain)

    “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”
              –2 Peter 3:14 (NKJV)
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We’re sure having a nice time on vacation.  It’s been fun staying with Shauna, Greg, and Garrett.  Our glamping experience was really enjoyable.  Glamping is not really camping; when a person glamps they are using an RV or in our case a cabin.  We stayed on Little Pine Creek in north central Pennsylvania.  While there Annie was able to see her “little” brother and his family, that includes the nephews.  It was a grand time.  Then last Saturday, her “big” brother and his wife came to visit.  Sure was good, made the heart glad.
    However, I was reminded several times during each visit that it could be the last time we see each other, at least on this side of heaven.  There could be many reasons for that.  One is that we are all getting up in age and could be called home.  Accidents do occur and there is that thing called the virus out there.  The devil would love for us to die, but that is not his call for it will not happen until the Lord gives the appointed time.  On a positive note, we could all go up together in the Rapture.
    In saying all of that I am reminded of family and friends.  It’s important while we are still down here on earth to be about the Lord’s business and that includes making the most of the time we have with them.  I have always thought that way; I have thought many times that this could be the last time we see one another.  “Do this,” I think to myself, “for it could be the last time.”
    All last week the words from Albert E. Brumley’s song kept coming to me.

           Soon we’ll come to the end of life’s journey
           And perhaps never meet anymore
           Till we gather in Heaven’s bright city
           Far away on that beautiful shore

           If we never meet again this side of Heaven
           As we struggle through this world and its strife
           There’s another meeting place somewhere in heaven
           By the side of the river of life

           Where the charming roses bloom forever
           And where separations come no more
           If we never meet again this side of Heaven
           I will meet you on that beautiful shore

On this side we have to say goodbye from time to time.  There are those instances when we intend to see a person again and for some reason, a move, death, or simply life gets in the way and we don’t bother to contact them or go see them.  No matter what, we do need to remember to pray for them.  Every morning, when I send out the Echo, I say a prayer that it will touch those who read it.  I have tried to be faithful in sending them, and I wonder, at times, if the recipients get anything from them.  
    I have thought of the quotation by Louis L’Amour many, many times.  So many places I would have liked to stay, so many places I would like to have revisited and never have, most likely never will.  Friends, if we never meet again on this side, it is my prayer that you are ready to meet the Lord so that we can have that grand reunion on that “beautiful shore.”