Verses: Matthew 10:29-31; 2 Peter 1:3
Fun Fact: Denali National Park was primarily established to protect wildlife
Favorite Hike: What hikes? Head off into the wilderness! There are few good options in the Savage River area.
Denali National Park is six million acres of wilderness just a few hours north of Anchorage. It is accessible by car, which is more than you can say for most of the Alaskan national parks, but the entire park has only one road—92 miles through the middle—which is usually closed to private vehicles.
Most people think Denali National Park was established to protect its namesake peak, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley). At 20,156 feet it is the highest peak in North America. However, Denali was actually the first national park created to protect wildlife. The park is home to 39 mammals, 169 species of birds and one amphibian. The big five of Denali include grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, and Dall sheep.
On my first visit to Denali, there was a ranger talk at our campsite when we arrived. She talked about the diversity of animals and how they survive the harsh winter. She described that the lone amphibian is the wood frog. As fall approaches, the wood frog will burrow under leaves and essentially allow two-thirds of their body to freeze solid. Their liver will pump a ton of glucose into their system which keeps water inside the cells preventing them from dying of the extreme temperatures until they can defrost in the spring.
The arctic ground squirrels also have amazing physiological adaptations to survive in the cold weather. During their months of hibernation, they adopt the lowest body temperature ever measured in a mammal. They are essentially in a coma state, but warm themselves up every 2-3 weeks to help their body heal and protect it from the damaging effects of the prolonged low temperatures.
Scientists have studied the complex nature of squirrels’ brains during this process. Their neurons shrink and the connections are compromised, however their brain has evolved to be extremely resilient. Similar to a barren tree growing back its foliage in the spring, the neurons restore themselves as well.
varied brown color to pure white in the winter to help protect them from predators. The huskies, who you can visit at the park kennels, have a thick double coat to keep them warm, and they use their plush tails to wrap around their faces when they sleep.
Hearing this talk and the amazing ways the Lord has prepared these animals for the seasons they face in such intricate and precise ways, I couldn’t help but think how much more so has He done that for us, His children?
In Matthew 10 as Jesus speaks to the twelve disciples, he says that we are far more valuable than the birds:
Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
He says similar words in relation to the Sabbath (Matthew 11-12).
These verses speak certainly to God’s sovereignty, but also His care for us. If Jesus is in complete control of the lives of the sparrows, how much more so is He sovereign over our lives? If He has prepared the animals for the seasons they will face, you can be sure He has done the same for us in immeasurably greater ways.
This doesn’t just pertain to physical protection, but spiritual as well. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that the Lord has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness.
Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3
2 Timothy 3 goes on to tell us that through the word of God, we are complete and equipped for every good work, and that we should be ready in season and out of season to preach the word and share it with others.
Places like Denali allow us to not only see the Lord’s beauty on display, but his provision- how He has created the seasons and the animals (Daniel 2:21, Psalm 74:17). Through the Lord’s sovereignty, He has prepared us for the seasons we will face, even the ones that may be extremely harsh. He created us, equips us, and sustains us to fulfill his purposes and bring Him glory. I pray as you visit Denali you embrace the wilderness and see the Lord’s provision at every turn. Reflect on the seasons of your life and the unbelievable ways in which the Lord has sustained you.
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