“Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy” (Psalm 65:8, NLT). Idaho may not be the ends of the earth, but you can see it from here. The Hebrew word literally means ‘termination’ or ‘cut off’. Basically this verse is talking about those who live at the end of the road. This not only defines many places in Idaho, but also the people who live here. For many Idahoans, life begins where the road ends. The Psalmist says that living at the end of the road inspires awe in God’s creative, even miraculous wonders. And how could it not when you see beauty like this?
Sometimes I ride my bike or go for a hike to get away and escape, but no matter where I go, I can’t seem to escape the beauty of this place I call home. The Bible refers to “the rising of the sun to its going down” several times in the Scriptures (see Psalm 113:3 and Malachi 1:11). While a sunset like the one pictured ought to inspire praise and even shouts of joy, that’s not all that is being referred to here. You see, where the sun comes up and where it goes down are two different locations. Essentially, we are encouraged to recognize the signs of this miraculous life everywhere in between. While we are awake, wherever we are, we should rejoice.
The word rejoice as used here literally means a victory shout. I was musing the other day about how so many are trying to win at life; working so hard in life and at various pursuits. My word to you today is “stop” and “take a look around you.” Those at the end of the road aren’t trying to win, they know they already have. Rejoice!
The Rock Church 