Mountain Skip

He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf
and Mount Hermon to leap like a young bull.
Psalm 29:6 NLT
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I know some people are, but I’m personally not huge on hunting down internet videos of puppies playing in the snow or kittens chasing laser pointers. I absolutely admit they are adorable, but I also have human “puppies” and “kittens” daily wrestling with laser pointers right here live. I get my fill. However, the other day, I clicked on an animal video posted by one of my friends that caught my interest and it changed my life!

The video is of a young orphaned rhino named Gertjie and his friend Lammie the sheep. The entire two minutes caught on film shows this sweet little rhino trying his best to imitate the running bounce and skip of his sheep friend. Not only is it so stinking cute, but God also let me see a deep, theological beauty in it, as well!

David filled all 11 verses of Psalm 29 with observations and worship of the might of God. He reminds us of the power behind just his voice: it can echo above the sea. It can split and shatter mighty cedars! His voice strikes with lightening bolts, makes the desert quake and strips forests bare. It also says that he makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf and Mount Hermon to leap like a young bull.

When I got to that verse – the one about mountains skipping and leaping – I paused because I just couldn’t picture it! Everything else I could easily imagine, but this one was different. I believe it to be true, but I couldn’t imagine it in my mind without it failing to portray the majesty and depth of God like all the other declarations did. Then, little Gertjie popped into my mind and God carefully, patiently answered my desire to see his strength. That stout, solid figure defied all boundaries of “rhino” and moved in a quick and bouncy flourish along with Lammie. Gertjie was an orphan, lacking a parent to love and imitate, so he learned to love and imitate the one who was present.

Heavy, mountain-esque little Gertjie was able to leap and skip when he focused on following the lamb.

And God can make my heart skip, even on the heaviest of days when my heart is like a rock. In the midst of carrying mountain-sized stress, my heart can leap when I am focused on imitating His Lamb: Jesus.

Challenge: Focus on imitating Jesus throughout each trial this week, asking him to make my rhino-mountain heart leap and skip like Him.

[youtube id=”0bL02GyIsKw” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

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Dear Lord, thank you so much for answering my craving to see your power and might. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you, Jesus, as you teach my heart the movements of faith and love. Flood my soul with your own Holy Spirit so that I may be your hands and feet in good times and in bad. Amen.