Psalm 85

"Faithfulness will spring up from the ground
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps."
Psalm 85:11-13

The Rogue River is one of the major rivers in this area and its headwaters are just inside of the Crater Lake National Park boundary. The river starts not as a gentle trickle but as a rushing torrent. It pours out of the ground as this picture shows (you can see another picture just down stream from here at the Psalm 29 reference) and just adds even more water on the way to it's emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The water that forms the river is actually snow melt that seeps into the ground and then because of the deep lava flows once present here under ground it is forced back to the surface where it forms this magnificent river.
It seems to me that our faithfulness should spring forth in much of the same way as this river. It shouldn't trickle out here and there but should come out with a great rush. When we stop and consider the righteousness, faithfulness, majesty, and blessings of God our response should be a stream of praise. Praise is the response of the righteous to God we are told over and over again in the Bible so why aren't our lives filled with praise? Why is it that when the people of God gather the chance of hearing gossip and complaining is as high as it is of hearing praise?
Maybe it is because we don't let the love of God soak into our lives but rather choose to let it run off of us never giving it the chance to form us into a people of righteousness and praise? I could be wrong, but then again I could be right.

A quick note because I've been asked:
All the pictures you see here have been taken by me over the past two + months. They are not yet processed and will get better by the time I have the chance to show people the finished product.
I am finding this time to be restful and restorative and appreciate everyone continuing to lift me up in prayer. Please keep the prayers coming.