Moved by Mount St. Helens
Matt Miles • October 27, 2021
It has long been argued in evolutionary circles, as well as in old earth creation, that geological timeframe is measured in millions and billions of years through gradual processes we observe today, also known as uniformitarianism. But then something happened in1980, and the evolutionary understanding began to shift from uniformitarianism to catastrophism. For years Dr. Sharp has taught about the 1980 Mount St. Helens’ eruption and the impact it has had on the geological timeframe. Personally, one of the more impactful presentations in my life was Doc’s “Thousand Years in a Day.”
Bob and I finally had the opportunity to experience Mount St. Helens for ourselves. A few weeks ago, while in Vancouver, WA, we had a couple of days to venture north and east to the famous mountain. All I can say to begin with is WOW! All these years of learning, teaching, and presenting about the eruption events fractionally prepared me for the area, but it did nothing for the magnitude of it all. Mount St. Helens is a large mountain, as many have described, but it is very hard to convey properly. Being there is an awe-inspiring experience, especially when teamed with the knowledge of the 1980 event. There are still remnants of the forest that was laid down for miles in a matter of seconds. There are still large log mats in Spirit Lake, over 40 years later. Everywhere I looked the evidence is there from the eruptions.
But still, if there were no signs or visitors’ center, one might not understand how recently the area had been impacted. There are many areas where trees have recovered or been seeded. A great amount of wildlife inhabit the area around the mountain. It is quite a beautiful place to visit and spend a couple of days hiking and exploring.
2 Peter 3:3-9 kept resonating in my mind, “But they deliberately forget…the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.”
Mount St. Helens is such a powerful reminder, yet minuscule in scope, of the globally devastating judgement against sin during the Flood. The Flood was the most devastating disaster that we could ever comprehend. The earth still shows evidence of it, but many are blind to it. The Lord also reminded me over and over again those days on the mountain that He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him today, just as He was to Noah. There is salvation for those who honor the all-powerful Lord that holds fire in reserve for the final judgement against sin. As I kept looking up at the mountain top with the large section that is no longer present on Mount St. Helens, all I could do was respond by LOOKING UP and praising Him for His faithful Word and eternal salvation. Blessings.
As we begin a new year, it brings new potential and a figurative “clean slate”. Yet at all times it is always good to remember that the Lord never changes and neither does His purposes. His desire is that all come to Him for salvation. As it is not all will seek their Creator, yet He is always at work around us guiding life through the present sinful, cursed world. His purposes are always to bring glory to himself as our Great Almighty Lord God. This divine guiding, moving, and protecting of His Spirit in the affairs of life is called Providence , our theme for the year here at Creation Truth. His Providence has always been at work since the beginning, guiding for the purpose he has designed us for. Over the course of history, we as people have missed it or chosen not to follow it. Providence of the Lord is what guided His people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Even while suffering judgment for their sin in the desert, there was Providence , providing for their needs with daily manna and encouraging them on to the Promised Land. At just the right time, Providence bestowed to us a Savior, Jesus Christ. Never would we have planned or made provision for the Savior of the world in the manner He came to earth. All of His work while in the flesh was done to point us to Him and His Glory. Providence was fulfilled on the cross for all eternity with the way for all to find the Lord and salvation, to be guided out of death and overcome the trial of this life through His death, burial and resurrection. Providence , 250 years ago, guided our country’s forefathers to seek a land to freely worship their Creator and Savior, with freedom from tyranny and a pursuit of liberty for all. Even though not all were followers of the Lord, it was still more than evident that they knew His Providence had a protecting hand on us. Only by His great Providence did we become a country, for the Lord knew we would become a beacon of that freedom and, ultimately, the only true freedom that comes from Christ. Through many trials and failures in history we have sinned before our Lord, and we must continually repent and seek Him for forgiveness. His Providence has allowed our nation of people from many tongues and tribes to melt together. We have been, and I pray continue to be, the largest Christian nation in the world, proclaiming who He is before all else. This year, as we focus on His Providence , may you seek Him and be reminded of all the times He has guided, protected and blessed you for His name. David wrote in Psalm 31:3-5 of the Lord’s Providence : “For You are my high rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me. You will bring me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Yahweh, God of truth.”(LSB) We at Creation Truth Foundation look forward to another year of opportunities to serve, champion, and exalt His Name. May you be guided, protected and blessed through Providence this year.
EACH OF THESE ARTICLES ARE EXCERPTS FROM AMERICA’S EPIC ADVENTURE TM - CTF'S NEWEST VBS CURRICULUM From Lesson 1: The Pilgrims, Walking by Faith in the Lord – Proverbs 3:5-6