I remember landing in Kathmandu, Nepal, a couple years ago and being very excited about seeing the Himalayan range for the first time.

The tallest mountains in the world are in the Himalayas — more than 100 peaks above 23,600 feet. To put that in perspective, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains is Mount Elbert, which comes in at 14,433 feet. With all due respect to the Rockies, they're like foothills compared to the Himalayas. 

But my excitement was short-lived. Each time I looked towards the Himalayan range, all I could see was smog. No one had prepared me for the possibility that a thick, smoke-like haze could obscure the most impressive mountain range in the world.

Three days in the Kathamandu valley, and I never saw the Himalayas. The air, colored gray, hid the world's tallest mountains, and eventually I forgot they were even there.

But all that changed the day we left, when the plane we were on broke through the blanket of pollution that covered the valley floor, and for the next however-long-it-was all we did was look out our windows and marvel at the majesty of a mountain range that extended beyond the horizon.

We were mesmerized by the size of the Himalayan range. Our whole plane tilted right. Passengers piled on top of each other trying to get a glimpse of the Himalayas. It was like nothing we had ever seen before — mountains upon mountains upon mountains.

I'll never forget that experience. Honestly, it culminated in worship. I was just so thankful. And it sparked a thought: The God who formed these peaks and valleys loves me. He loves us. He loves the people who live at the base of these great mountains. There is no greater love than His.

To travel all the way to Nepal and never get a glimpse of the Himalayas would've been a huge disappointment. But to journey through life and miss out on God's love would be an absolute tragedy. We are made for Him.

You see, beyond the creation lies a Creator who surpasses the beauty of all He's made. And the Gospel is our invitation to run to Him, the One the Psalmist describes as radiant with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game (Psalm 76:4). May He be our primary pursuit and greatest treasure all the days of our lives.

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