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For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 (NLT)
How can you believe in something you can’t see? People ask that question regarding God as they seek spiritual freedom. In reality we believe in many things we can’t see. It’s our choice to believe in them or not. For example, I can say I no longer believe oxygen is required for life because I can’t see oxygen. Does that change the life-giving qualities of oxygen? Nope. How about gravity? Suppose I climb to the highest peak of my roof and announce to the world, “Gravity, I no longer accept your existence! I can’t see you. You have done me no good. Therefore you either don’t exist or don’t care!” If I then proceed to jump from my roof, what will be the result? Will gravity have any less effect? Unfortunately, no.
Ok, (you may say) suppose I choose to believe in God. What proof can you give of his existence? Gravity shows itself every day. Science has been able to ‘see’ oxygen. Where can I see proof of God? My answer to you will be to look out the window. When I look out the window or take a walk or travel I see many things about God that point me to him.
- I see that God is creative. Just looking outside now I see at least 10 different shades of green. Just one color! Yet many different shades.
- I see that God admires beauty when I look at a sunset or scan the horizon from a high peak, or look into the face of the one I love.
- I see that God is gentle when I touch the petal of a flower and feel its softness.
- I see God enjoys mystery when I contemplate how life begins and the many different life forms that are seen and unseen, extinct and still walking our planet. It takes more faith to believe in evolution than to believe in the creator God of Genesis.
- I see God is very smart when I look at the scientific community and hear of the things we’ve ‘discovered’. I admit I chuckle when we use that term. We don’t ‘discover’ things. We simply find the things God has put into our world for us to find.
- I see God is powerful when I see the power of an earthquake or storm and realize that all of our human resources alone can’t control nature. But God can control it with a spoken word.
- I see God is passionate when I watch people who are truly in love interact with life.
- I see God is forgiving when I remember that he sent his very own son to die for me when I least deserve it.
There are so many other ways God shows himself to us on a daily basis. Too often we are too busy to notice. Take time today, as you go about your tasks, to look for examples of god’s inner qualities in nature around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I’m in awe when I contemplate the great power of your world. I worship and praise you for showing us so many things about you. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your Spirit that dwells within. Empower me to day to give you glory with every step I take, every word I speak and every action I take. In Jesus name, Amen.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
Imagine David on the hillside. Alone in the wilderness. Nothing but the sound of sheep snoring in the dark and an occasional twig snapping as some unknown visitor scouts the perimeter of his camp.
As the fire dies his attention is drawn straight above him. Around him is darkness, but above him is the splendor of heaven. Millions and millions of stars. Stars that looked like pin holes in black paper to him but were, in reality huge, energy emitting balls of gas billions of miles away!
I can’t help but believe that the time David spent in the wilderness alone was time spent learning about the majesty of God. His courage in fighting Goliath; his patience and grace in running from Saul; his wisdom in leading a nation and his acceptance of God’s discipline in the ‘Bathsheba Affair’ didn’t come from wrestling lions and bears or herding stupid sheep!
David’s character was built spending time in God’s creation communing with him in solitude and worship. It’s appalling to me to realize that one Sunday a year some churches ‘celebrate’ Darwin’s lie about origins. People who claim to believe in the God of the Bible applaud a system of belief (evolution) which discredits what the Bible says about God creating everything we see as well as the unseen world.
David would have been horrified at the thought! He’d say to us, “Look at the heavens! How can you possibly doubt a God who made all this!”
Life can be hard sometimes. Relationships fail us. Sleep evades us. Children/parents disappoint us. The darkness of our sin or the way we are treated by others surrounds us and fills us with fear and despair. When that happens, look up! If God can make the millions of stars in the sky he can handle whatever you are going through.
There is no sin too great that he can’t forgive. No illness to harsh that he can’t heal and/or comfort. No relationship he can’t mend. It was in the darkness that David formed a character that gave him the title of “A man after God’s own heart.” It is in the darkness that each of us must grow our character as well. We don’t develop character in the light of day and the comfort of a palace. We learn character in the darkness of a hillside wilderness.
PRAYER: Holy God. As with David, I ask that my eyes would be drawn to the heavens. Help me to see your power and majesty in the world you have created around me. Empower through your Holy Spirit to have the courage to believe in you as I endure the struggles that lay ahead of me. Just as the heavens declare your majesty, may my character declare your grace and power to love others and live for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 