God speaks through nature

GOD HAS SPOKEN THROUGH NATURE

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

With these words the Bible opens the history of our world. It does not try to prove that God exists. From the very beginning God already is, and He is already active. The writers of the Bible never doubt or question God’s existence. Nor do they go into long arguments to show to others that God is real. Why is this?

GOD'S PRESENCE IS WELL KNOWN

”No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18).

The fact that God is not directly seen does not have to lead to doubt.

The wind is unseen. Does anyone really doubt that wind exists? We are sure it exists because we see the results of its blowing. Though God is invisible, we know He is there because of the results of His powerful work. The world around us, called "nature," is one of those results (Genesis 1:1). With other results of God’s work, nature speaks clearly of its Creator.

People through the ages, and all over the world, have come to the same conclusion: Creation points to an amazing Creator. Rulers who have tried to make people deny God have ended in failure. When those rulers fall, their people are seeking God more than ever.

SEEING THE CREATOR THROUGH CREATION

The apostle Paul speaks of those who try to hide the truth about God. He shows why God is angry with them:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes [qualities], namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived [seen], ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (Romans 1:19-20).

Realities about God can be ”clearly perceived”! How? ”In the things that have been made.” Just looking at the wonderful creation around us helps us to know about God!

We know of the wind is real by seeing how it moves dust and leaves. In a far greater way, we know things about God by the effect of His work around us. God has made it clear to those who are willing to look. That is why people have ”no excuse” when they twist the truth about God.

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CREATION BY ACCIDENT?

Some want to live as if there is no God to whom they must answer. To avoid the need for God they teach that all we see exists by accident.

Matter has always existed, they say, but at some time long ago matter exploded. Some flying pieces from this "Big Bang" came together by chance and they formed our system of sun and planets, with our own wonderful world. Much smaller pieces later came together in such a way that they happened to form living things. They say that over ages these slowly changed their form in many ways - all by accident, too - and we humans are the result. We have no spirit and no real purpose. From a long line of accidents, we are an accident on its way to its final accident! Does such a picture make sense?

How could so many accidents result in such order? What would happen if you caused a great explosion to scatter a pile of rocks and wood? Even if you repeated this many times over, would the millions of pieces ever have the chance of coming together in such a way as to form a normal house? Would the heavier rocks happen to come down first to make a perfect foundation? Would smaller pieces then fall in by chance to make straight walls on all sides, with doors and windows all in place? Would other pieces finally fall in such order as to make a roof that keeps rain out?

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EVERY HOUSE HAS A BUILDER

No one would dare say that a house came about by accident. Its order and design show beyond doubt that it had a builder. Notice the simple force of Hebrews 3:4,

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

Look closely at the simplest leaf in nature. It is far better planned than a house. It has tiny openings for the flow of gases. Its green coloring catches sunlight and uses it for energy. It carry water and food from the soil. It is more like a highly ordered city! And that is just one leaf. We have not considered jungles and forests full of different plants. We have not pointed out the many, many kinds of land and sea animals, nor all that it takes to provide them life.

He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts [animals] their food, and to the young ravens [birds] that cry (Psalm 147:8-9).

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CREATION TELLS THE GLORY OF GOD

What about the order of the stars and the planets? The nation of Israel once had a great king called David. He wrote many songs. Here are words from one song:

The heavens declare [tell] the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Psalm 19:1).

King David was right. If our sun (just one of billions of stars) is so powerful, how much more powerful is the One who made all suns! He is even called "the Father of lights" (James 1:17)!

Yet the sun’s strength is strictly controlled. If the earth changed its course even a little, all life on our planet would end. Everything is in perfect place for life to exist on this earth. Such careful design in every detail must have a Builder! But we have not yet mentioned the man and woman, with their children, who live in this amazing home. The brain of even the smallest child has many more active parts than all the stars the eye sees at night! Our minds work with great thoughts. Our eyes see beauty in living colors. The human spirit has power to choose and to love. Our hearts reach high in praise and worship. King David thought about his own body and soul. He realized how well God had worked. So he praised God with this song:

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well (Psalm 139:14).

David wrote in the Hebrew language. In that language he actually said, "My soul knows it very well." The person who pretends there is no God and no soul is like a mouse eating bread in the dark. With its mouth full, the mouse announces, "I do not believe there is a baker. I do not believe there is such a thing as grain for making bread, for I have never seen these things." We stand on the evidence! The proof is all around us and within us! The Bible describes those who refuse to see it:

For although they knew God, they did not honor [respect] him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile [empty] in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:21-22).

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GIVE GLORY AND THANKS TO GOD

Notice that Paul, in Romans 1:21, shows that it is only right that we should give to our Maker glory and thanks. The air we breathe is God’s good air—its gases mixed in just the right parts to give life and not death. When you eat, remember that the food and drink you enjoy are God’s good gifts for you.

Yet he did not leave Himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17).

That we exist and live at all is itself a wonderful gift. The truth is that we owe all that we are and have to our Maker! When we truly understand that, it is not hard to give to God the praise due to His name. It is not hard to give back in service to Him the life that He first gave to us. It is the right thing to do. And our lives are far better in every way when we respect, worship and serve our Creator. Such service takes time and effort. Yet isn’t that time actually the time He is giving to us? "Our" time on earth can and will end some day. Since it is really His gift of time, we can afford to take time for Him. Believing in God goes beyond simply knowing facts about God. It leads us to praise God and to seek Him. Even those who do not yet know how to come to God can begin to seek Him. A Roman soldier named Cornelius was one such person (Acts 10). Because he was truly seeking God, his prayers were heard. God helped him. Through this help Cornelius became a follower and friend of God. Prayer is an important part of this friendship. For that reason each lesson has an example of prayer. OUR PRAYER, at the end of the lesson, offers a suggested beginning to a prayer about the lesson. This start may lead to many other thoughts which should be given to God in prayer. We can briefly sum up the main points of the lesson in this way:

LET'S SUM UP

God does not need to prove that He exists for it is already obvious. Just look around you! Look in the mirror at how you are put together! You know that this life and universe are far too orderly to be accidents. That means that behind all this there is a very wise, very powerful Creator. His work shows also that He really cares about what He made. It’s time we cared enough to thank Him for the life He gave us.

O God, Maker of all things, we are filled with wonder and awe when we look around us. How great is Your power and wisdom! Thank You for making us, and for supplying our needs. Help us as we seek to know You better. For we owe to You life itself…