NATURE ALLOWS ANYONE TO PERCEIVE GOD
Sarah Sloan
Today's Scripture: “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. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:20-21, ESV
Theme: God’s creation points back to its Creator. Humanity is without excuse.
SENSING GOD
Creation has always spoken to me of the divine nature of God. I see so much of God’s beauty, provision, and creativity in nature. But even more important than what I see is what I feel when I am surrounded by nature. There is a stillness in my soul that takes place – whether I am watching a butterfly float, a wave crash, or a star twinkle. In nature, I see God and I feel awe, reverence, and peace.
TRUSTING GOD
Yet while God has spoken to me in so many ways and proven Himself real in my life, I have questioned God because of the people around the world who will never hear the name of Jesus spoken. They will never hold a Bible in their hands or attend a church. How can they even have an option to believe? And what about the ancient civilizations; how could those living long ago and far away choose a God they were never told anything about? What about the people groups living in isolated locations or surrounded by other religions? How are they to learn about Jesus and that He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? If everyone isn’t given an opportunity for redemption and salvation, is God true or just?
This question of God’s justice and goodness towards the scope of all humanity made me question whether Jesus and all that I believed was, in fact, true. I wondered if Jesus was a “made-up god” of the western civilizations. I knew that Jesus either had to be true, just, real, and good, or He was not anything. He could not be both. Jesus has always been and will always be an all-or-nothing question. Nothing about Jesus is ever in-between.
KNOWING GOD
This question plagued me. Then my senior year in college, while I was still wrestling with it, I went to China for three months to do mission work. We took classes at the local university with the goal of befriending our fellow students and eventually sharing the salvation story of Jesus with them. The students we befriended were usually proficient English speakers. Most of these students were enrolled in the university’s English program and there they got to pick their own English names to use in class. My friend had the opportunity to befriend and later share the story of Jesus with a boy who called himself "WonderDuck."
WonderDuck had grown up in a communist country where most religions had been broken apart and banned. When WonderDuck finally heard about Jesus, he said, "All my life, I have known that there was a God. I would look up into the night sky, and I knew someone created it. I knew He was not any of the other gods that I had heard about. I knew that Buddhism, Hinduism, and everything else was not true. Since I did not know God’s name, I called Him ‘Tiger.’ Thank you so much for coming here to tell me His name! Now I can call Him Jesus!"
All creation testifies. I had my answer. Jesus was and is true, just, real, and good. Nature testified to the existence of the one true God – both to me and to WonderDuck, before he ever heard of Jesus. A heart truly seeking the Lord will find and honor Him, whether it knows His name or not.
Make It Personal: Over the years, I have continually learned that trying to fathom the greatness and goodness of God is too vast for my finite mind. I can’t quantify Him or define Him. I cannot comprehend His love and forgiveness for everyone. He is so much more than we can understand and yet we still try to put God in a box and simplify Him.
Today, if you have doubts like I did, about God’s goodness and justice, bring those to Him. He is bigger than your fear or questions. Open your heart and allow Him to prove to you how big, good, and gracious He is. Don’t let your heart be darkened. Instead, choose today to turn your face towards His radiant light. Jesus, “The true light, which gives light to everyone...” (John 1:9a, ESV), has come to the world.
For those of us that know and have seen His light, we daily have a choice in how we live and in what we reflect. “You are the light of the world.... In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14a,16, ESV).
Pray: God, I have been searching for You, and You have made Yourself known. Help me to trust that You are just and true; You are able to reveal Yourself to all humanity. I know You have commissioned me to be part of that revelation and to share Your salvation with others. Give me boldness, grace, and a passion for sharing the Good News of Jesus to my world. Amen.
Read: Romans, Chapter 1
Weekly Memory Verse: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16, ESV