At the end of The Last Battle, the final book in the Chronicle of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, the world ends. But the characters remain, and they are drawn to journey “further up and further in.” They realize that they are in the “real Narnia” and that the world they had known was but a “shadowland.” Cried one: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now.”
This is Lewis’s fictional way of representing the “new heavens and new earth” promised in Scripture. As we conclude this month’s study of “Spiritual Geography: Mountains and Valleys in Scripture,” it’s appropriate to do so on a note of praise.
Like us, creation groans under the weight of sin and “its bondage to decay” (Rom. 8:19–22). Like us, it will one day celebrate its redemption. In the meantime, it gives witness to its Creator and joins us in worship (see Ps. 19:1–4).
Psalm 98 summons nature to join the congregation in singing. The sea and all creatures in it are invited to “resound,” the rivers to “clap their hands,” and the mountains to “sing together for joy” (vv. 7–8). This jubilation is warranted because God is coming “to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity” (v. 9).
This month, we’ve seen that God is sovereign over all geographies—mountains, valleys, and everything in between. Mountains in Scripture are often a special place to meet God, and His justice and faithfulness are often evident in the valleys. Through this study, we hope you’ve gained a renewed appreciation for God’s presence in every place and every stage of life.
Pray with Us
Thank you for your partnership in prayer with us this month! As we come to the end of this study, let us thank God for His work in every human life, in the valleys and on the mountains. Thank Him that His grace is always sufficient.
BY Brad Baurain
Dr. Bradley Baurain is Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He is the author of On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.