God, the Mountain One

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the Shadow of the Almighty.” 

Psalm 91:1

Huascarán is the tallest mountain in Peru, and we literally dwell in the shadow of this 22,205 ft. peak. The only problem is that we haven’t actually seen the mountain for the past couple of months, due to a seemingly never-ending rainy season, accompanied by an overbearing cover of clouds and cold weather. We have to look back through our files of digital photos to remind ourselves that this awe-inspiring mountain really is there behind the clouds!

So I found it interesting this week in my devotional study of the names of God to read that the Hebrew name “El Shadday,” God Almighty, could literally be translated as “God, The Mountain One.” Interesting that God would choose to reveal Himself by this name at a time and place in history when many people worshipped mountain gods. But God wasn’t claiming to be the most powerful of the mountain gods; He was calling Himself “The ONE.” His people, both then and now, could know Him as the Almighty, The Mountain One who never changes, who is always there, even behind the clouds.

We can rest in His shadow even when it seems like we are on the road more than we are at home. We are dwelling in His shelter even though we often feel like the routine of daily life and work keeps us tied up in mundane tasks rather than doing “great things” for Him. And even when we aren’t in the middle of an exciting “mountaintop experience,” we can still testify to the fact that God really is The Mountain One, quietly standing behind us, just as we know that Huascarán is majestically standing behind the rainy season clouds.

Written in 2011

Originally published by Thrive Connection on October 6, 2020