Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Fun Fact: Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural sandstone arches.
Favorite Hike: Delicate Arch at sunrise
Arches National Park, just north of Moab, is one of the five national parks in Utah. As the name suggests, the park is known for its many sandstone arches. There are over 2,000 in the park! To be classified as an arch, the opening must measure at least three feet across. The largest arch in the park is Landscape Arch, spanning 306 feet. In addition to arches, you can see pinnacles, balanced rocks, and other unique formations.
Arches National Park offers a number of activities for visitors: you can stay on the main road, which offers a scenic drive of some of the most impressive features, or you can get out and head off for a hike to see the arches up close. Check out Delicate Arch, Double Arch, or Landscape Arch. You can also go climbing or canyoneering in the park, assuming you follow all of the regulations.
The arches are constantly changing as a result of a combination of geological forces (water, ice, rain, temperature, etc.) slowly eroding the sandstone over time. You can learn more about the formations here. It is a slow and consistent process, unnoticeable to the naked eye, but resulting in drastic changes over the years. New arches are formed, and old ones occasionally collapse. Wall Arch, which was ranked as the 12th largest arch, fell in 2008.
In our world, it can be hard to stop and notice the small but mighty changes taking place around us or within us. The way children grow, or how we lose weight (or gain it) due to consistent, daily choices, or the way we learn things incrementally make it hard to see the progress day-to-day, but after some time, you are amazed at the change that has taken place.
What about with sanctification? Are you aware of the daily process of becoming more holy?
While the point of your salvation, in terms of conversion, may be a noticeable point in time, the growth that follows through the process of sanctification is a gradual process leading to our glorification.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
– Romans 8:28-30
John MacArthur said, “In the moment of your salvation, you are declared justified by the Lord through the sacrifice of His Son and freed from the guilt of sin. From there, sanctification frees you from the pollution of sin, helping you destroy sinful patterns and relinquish your former wickedness.”
Sanctification is the process of spiritual growth. It is God’s transforming work in your life, making you more and more like him as you grow towards holiness.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
There are many spiritual disciplines that support our sanctification, including renewing our minds through the reading of God’s word (Romans 12:2, Joshua 1:8), abstaining from sin, and actively obeying the commandments the Lord has given us with a heart towards His Glory. Sanctification is not a passive process. It involves our discipline, consistency, faithfulness, and obedience; however, it is not merely a function of our will, but the work of the Holy Spirit within it.
John Owen said that sanctification is progressive, and that “it is begun at once and carried on gradually.”
Pursuing holiness takes work; we are fighting the flesh, but the Lord who started a good work in you will complete it. Our sanctification will one day be complete when we are glorified and meet the Lord face to face (1 Peter 1:3-5).
I pray that as you visit Arches, you take a moment to reflect on the small changes happening around you and within your own life. Just as you look at the patterns in the sandstone as evidence of the gradual change, can you look back over your life as a believer and see the Lord working in you? I pray you can, and I pray the national parks play a humble part in that process.
I have been leading tours throughout the National Parks for 15 years. What a joy to be able to see His Creation and share it with people of faith! These devotionals are a joy.