"Nature Lessons"
EPISODE 83
Be Amazed at God's Creation
Watch
Listen
Read
Every year on my birthday, I head up north to a cabin in the woods alone. As God’s incredible creation surrounds me, it’s hard not to think about Paul’s words to the Christians in Rome:
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20-21).
The Bible contains the fully revealed truth about God. But we also learn about him outside the pages of his holy book. Nature is another of the Lord’s classrooms, where he teaches about his “invisible attributes.” Let’s look around to see what the Lord is showing us about Himself in the creation we enjoy.
His Eternal Power
The complexity of God’s creation is undeniable. A single tree stands in the middle of the forest. It began as a seed until it grew into maturity. Animals find food and shelter in its branches. It’s continually sustained by the rivers, the rains, and the sun, providing us with oxygen to breathe. And when it dies, it breaks down, giving nutrients to the soil for other trees to grow.
But time would fail us to consider the full extent of nature’s complexity. We see God’s eternal power at work, even in a single tree. Who else could create something so complicated, yet fundamental to life, than God? Who else could have designed an entire universe in which that single tree could survive? Even time itself, marking the life and death of that tree by its rings — who could have created it other than an eternal God?
His Divine Nature
He not only creates, but his creation is for our good. And by blessing us with the oxygen we breathe, the food we enjoy, the water that sustains us, the planet we live on, and our bodies themselves, we see his love for us and his desire for a relationship with us. And in return, we honor him, fear him, and love him.
What an amazing Creator we serve, who made all we see and experience around us for our good. Let us see his fantastic creation all around us, and find yet another reason to honor and glorify him.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. ...” (Psalm 19:1-4).
