I recently attended a “Jesus Worldview Initiative” retreat sponsored by Good Faith Media. The continuing education event occurred in West Yellowstone, Montana with excursions into Yellowstone National Park.

Words cannot convey the majesty and diversity of Yellowstone’s geography. The landscape features something of everything that the Lord God Almighty created: majestic mountains, steep canyons, lush meadows, flowing streams, large lakes, crashing waterfalls, gushing geysers, and scalding thermals.

One of our leaders, Bruce Gourley, literally wrote the book on Historic Yellowstone National Park. He led us on a hike starting at the Wapiti Lake Trailhead. We walked through knee-high meadows of sagebrush and grass overlooking the Hayden Valley, stepping carefully around the reminders of bison’s recent passage. 

The path meandered from meadow to forest before entering a desolate landscape filled with smoke and steam. The seared soil resembled a lunar landscape devoid of life. Mud pots and steam vents bubbled and burbled with caustic, watery voices. Pieces of wood marked a scant trail through the hydrothermal area.

The pathway reentered the wood line and passed two ponds. Silt and plants ironically obscured Clear Lake; but Lily Pad Lake lived up to its name. Various hues of green painted the water, plants, and trees.

The vista opened a few hundred yards down the trail. The South Rim Trail of Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon suddenly appeared. The steep walls plunged to torrential waters below. We ended the hike at Artist Point with a postcard-view of the Lower Falls.

The ancient Greeks believed that the world contained four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. We experienced them all in a two-hour hike over varied terrain. The flora, fauna, and landscape declared God’s glory.

Hike and see that the Lord is good.