SOLI  DEO GLORIA

To God Alone Be the Glory

“I’d like to live on a mountain top, fellowshipping with the Lord”

 I love to stand on a mountain top cuz I like to feel my spirit soar!”

           I’m standing on a mountain, well in some folk’s eyes it would be a hill but it’s all relevant. Right?  That’s the scary thing.  I’ve lived inNorth Dakotaover two years now and on the prairies over 5, but now these surrounding buttes that are 3,000-3,500 ft high seem like BIG mountains.  Am I becoming a FLAT-lander! Oh my trees! Where?  What trees?

            So back to the story—no I’m not going to discuss the merits of being or not being a flat-lander.  Or that you can take the mountain woman outta the mountains but you can’t take the mountains out of the woman.  Once a mountain woman always a mountain woman-turned-prairie-prowler for the moment!  Anyway—-

            I’m standing on a high place, not the highest place around, but high enough that I can see for miles in most directions wide open spaces and emptiness.. 

            I raise my arms to the sky and cry, “To God ALONE be the Glory!”  A song bursts from my lips. “To God be the glory, great things He has done.”  I spread my arms wide in worship.  “Thou are worthy, oh Lord.”  Then a faster one, “I saw the Light, I saw the Light!”  My feet can’t help but dance a bit of a jig there amongst the red scoria. 

            I swung into a chorus I had known since childhood.  “Don’t think me poor or deserted or lonely, I’m not discouraged I’m Heaven bound.  I’m just a cowgirl,” putting my own spin on the familiar tune, I swing around, being careful not to dance myself off the pointy hill, “in search of a Valley.  I want a mountain, a horse and a hound! 

            “I’ve got a mansion just over that hill top.  In that bright land where we’ll never grow old.  And some day yonder, I will never more wonder, but walk on hills that are purest gold.” 

            I finish with a flourish of upraised arms and voice sailing to the sky.  “Praise You God Almighty!”

            I look at the dogs and they are both staring at me with wide eyes.  Maybe they think I’ve really lost it now, and maybe you think so too.  However, this singing and dancing is nothing new with me.  I often raise my praises to God through song, but always when it’s only God and my dogs, and maybe a coyote or two to see and hear. 

            Now I raise my eyes and survey the vista from my “mountain top”.  All around, in every direction, I see the glory of God.   The sun is low in the western sky and Sentinel Butte shines forth in all its glory, reflecting the sun on its rock faces and grassy slopes.  The hills around are golden and in the east they are pink.  The badlands shine with a pink and golden hallow of light. The sky is tinted a soft pink on all horizons, turning to bright blue straight over head. How can I not praise Him who so created?      

            Is this what Heaven is like?  Could I be getting a tiny peek of the vibrant colors and brilliant light of Glory?  Does praise take the scales off my eyes so I see really see the glory of God?  Does praise and thanksgiving open up a window into the very portals of Heaven? 

            “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Ps. 100:4 

            I always thought this meant we were to go into His gates and courts with thanksgiving and praise, but does this make sense?  I mean do we actually enter His Heavenly courts while here on earth?  But maybe, just maybe this means thanksgiving and praise takes us through His gates and into His courts.  Or into His presence.  Through praise and thanksgiving I am aware of His glorious presence.   I see His light, I gaze on His face, I feel His touch.

             For the Lord is good!  And His love endures forever!  And ever!  His faithfulness continues through all generations!  (from Ps. 100:5)

            I’ve learned in the past how praise could help me to accept an intolerable situation and begins the process of healing.  How thanking God for something I did NOT want to thank Him for and did not see anything good in, when thanking Him anyway, enabled me to take my eyes off the situation and put  my focus completely on the Healer.

            “Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father.”  Eph. 5:20  “Be joyful always.  Pray continually.  Give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes. 5:16-17

            IN all things.  FOR all things.  With joyfulness we are to give thanks. Even when we don’t feel thankful or feel like rejoicing.  It is an act of obedience, our sacrifice of praise.  God does not ask us to feel. Only to do.

            When we thank Him for something undesirable, we surrender completely to His will.  We lay our lives totally in His hands and say, “Whatever You do is okay.  I trust You.”  That opens the door for the peace that surpasses all understanding, thus contentment, to flow into our lives and for His love to begin a work of healing in our hearts. 

            I know this from my past, but now I see something else. As I stand on my mini-mountain top, arms spread wide, turning slowly in circles, taking in the gorgeous scene around me, scales are indeed peeled from my eyes and I see His glory.

            Thanksgiving is the gate to His courts.  With thanksgiving and praise I enter into His presence.  I was created to praise my creator.  And praise Him I will! Every minute of every day, in any circumstance, I will breathe thanksgiving to my God. 

            Or at least I will try.  I think it becomes a habit, a way of life, an unconscious act.  Unconscious, but yet very conscious, my spirit constantly communing with His Spirit.  Is this possible here on earth?  I think so to some extent.  Why else would He tell us so many times in the scriptures to praise the Lord.  To be jubilant.  To dance and play music to Him.  To ask with thanksgiving.  To Rejoice.  To “shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before Him with joyful songs!”  And finally to be still and “know that the Lord is God”.  (from Ps. 100:1-2)

            I have come to understand that Praise and Thanksgiving are the keys to contentment, to joy, to happiness, to soaring, to victory, to seeing blessings in my life and to knowing God.  To being aware of the presence of God in my life at all times.

            When I praise Him, I see Him. Then when I am still, I know He is there and I bask in His glorious presence. There is, for the moment, nothing else.

            I stand on my mountain top with hands upraised, eyes taking in the gorgeous vistas, dogs watching my every move and I feel my spirit soar. Higher and higher it goes.

            Thank You God, for letting me see hills of gold!

            “Because your love is better then life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live and in Your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing, my mouth will praise you.” Ps. 63:3- 5              

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY