August 9, 2025

Richard and I took a short trip to Nevada so Richard could attend a driving school. We went to the local Walmart to pick up a few essentials for our morning coffee. You can get to know the people of an area by how they act at Walmart. I now understand how miserable it must be to live in a desert, but these people could tell we were the outsiders and showed us their true colors. We were just outside of Death Valley, so I understand their misery, living so near a place called Death. Being uninterested in car racing, I took a little trip out to the Badwater Basin, in Death Valley National Park, where the elevation is 282 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation on earth. It was a salt flat, so I took off my shoes and stood there, realizing that I had stood on the ground nearest to hell, and that is the closest I will ever come to it; thank you, Jesus. Even though the place was dry, hot (up to 112 degrees while we were there), desolate, and void of greenery, we both maintained our joy. If you are happy in the Lord, it doesn’t matter where you are, even near the pit of hell, God is there with you, which is cause to be joyful. 

David began Psalms 61 sad, but concluded it full of the joy of the Lord. It may have been penned while on the run from Absolam, but he still found reason to praise God and knew God would hear him even being away from the  Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. So, whatever situation you find yourself in, worshipping God will raise your countenance, and He can hear you no matter where you are. 

So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. Psalms 61:8

Pictured is some salt I collected. The photo from yesterday’s post is from where I was standing in the salt at Badwater Basin.