Fun Fact: Death Valley is North America’s hottest, driest, and lowest region.
Favorite Hike: Badwater Basin Salt Flats
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park south of Alaska. It is also North America’s hottest, driest, and lowest region. The highest recorded temperature in the park was 134°F! Given its name by a group of gold pioneers who were lost in the valley in 1849, the story goes that as they were finally leaving the area, one of the men turned back and said “Goodbye, Death Valley.”
Given Death Valley’s size, there is a lot to do, but some destinations are far from the visitor center and require SUVs with 4X4. The Furnace Creek Visitor Center is in the main part of the park, with two lodges, camping options, restaurants, and shopping. There are sand dunes, salt flats, and sandstone canyons. You can also visit Badwater Basin, North American’s lowest point (282 ft below sea level). Another hiking option in Death Valley is Telescope peak, Death Valley’s highest point.
One popular place to visit in the park is known as the Racetrack, a dry lakebed about 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. The dried mud is up to 1,000 feet thick! What brings visitors to this remote part of the park? The mysterious moving rocks. Rocks weighing as much as 700 pounds fall from the surrounding mountains and move across the surface of the lakebed. You can see the path they leave behind as they move along the surface.
However, you won’t necessarily see the rocks move in person, it’s hard to predict and sometimes they don’t move for years. This was long thought to be one of nature’s great mysteries. However, researchers found the rocks move due to a rare combination of forces. Essentially, when it rains (which isn’t often), enough water must be present to form a thin layer of ice on the surface overnight. In the morning, as the ice thaws, it creates a slippery surface, combined with the right amount of wind, the rocks will slide across. The rocks may move for just a few seconds or for as long as 16 minutes.
The national parks are full of these so-called mysteries. It's one of the things that makes them so fun to visit. For most, if you dig deep enough, the mysteries are revealed, as was the case with the mysterious moving rocks.
The Word is the same way, friends. We see the mysteries of God mentioned throughout the Bible, mostly in the new testament. One commentary defined mysteries in the context of the bible as “secrets kept in the heart of God until He chooses to reveal it to the heart of man”.
1 Corinthians tells us to be stewards of the mysteries of God, and Paul says in Ephesians that he is an ambassador of the mystery of the gospel (vs 20).
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. - 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
The epistles are full of the Lord revealing mysteries to His people, often through the parables. These mysteries were largely hidden in the context of the Old Testament, but are now revealed so we can know more about Christ and the Gospel.
We see this in Colossians...
Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. Colossians 1:25-26
And again in Ephesians 3...
How the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. - Ephesians 3: 3-5
What are some of the mysteries revealed? The mystery of the bride of Christ and creation of one flesh in marriage (Ephesians 5:32), the mystery of lawlessness (2 Thess 2:7-8), the mystery of Israel's blindness (Romans 11:25), the mystery of the seven stars and seven lampstands described in Revelation (1: 12-20), and the mystery of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13). There are many others.
As you spend time in Death Valley, I encourage you to search for the mysteries around us in the parks, but more importantly search the Word for the ways the Lord reveals mysteries to us.
I pray that as you visit Death Valley you are reminded of the mysteries of God and find encouragement in how many have been revealed to you. You are the stewards of these mysteries, responsible for sharing them with others and revealing them to others, so they too, can marvel at all the Lord has done.
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