Finding God in Creation (Romans 1:19-20)
By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox
Romans 1:19-20 (ESV) 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.
Autumn is my favorite time of year. The crisp leaves exchanging shades of green for shades of amber and crimson and gold. The cool mornings and evenings that demand your favorite hoodie and cozy socks. The big Harvest moons that rise at night and silently hovers over the horizon. For me, Fall is one season that consistently brings God glory.
Without a doubt, God speaks to us through His creation. There are allegories and metaphors under almost every rock! We see how lovely it is to let dead things go in the way the trees release their leaves with a final burst of color. We see the promise of resurrection in the way the leaves grow back in the Spring, along with flowering blooms and fragrant blossoms. We see the consistency of God’s unchanging nature in the steady rising and setting of the sun every morning and evening. And we see the guarantee of His Word in the rainbows that grace the sky in colorful arcs after a rain shower.
I think these are just a few of the things Paul might be referring to when he wrote this chapter in Romans 1. One only needs to look around this earth to see the beauty of the Lord, to receive testimony of His glory, and to prove not only His existence, but His care and provision over all living things.
Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV) Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
God didn’t just create it, He manages it. He sees and cares for all living things, including nature.
The carefully ordained structure and order of the Earth all point back to God. Every leaf, every sea creature, every changing season, and every bird of the air brings God glory. The way the human body heals and repairs itself, the way animals’ instincts keep them safe during a natural disaster, the way seeds are planted and grow to provide a bounty, the laws of gravity…we as frail humans can’t accomplish any of these wonders on our own. We can only see and marvel at the Lord for creating them, as He did us.
Paul points out in Romans 1 that no one can claim an excuse for not seeing what God has obviously put on Earth in so many wonderful, various ways—the glory of His majesty.
Reflect on today’s verse with us. Share your thoughts in the Your Daily Bible Verse discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
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