“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 19:1-6 tells us that God reveals himself in nature, and no one on earth has escaped that message. When we witness a solar eclipse, an erupting volcano, or a waterspout over the ocean, we marvel at God’s majesty and creativity. Even simple things, like leaves turning orange and birds migrating south, expose a master plan at work.
If, however, we limit our knowledge of God to the natural realm we miss out on the depth God intends for His children. He planned much more for us.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.”
Psalm 19:7-11 tells us that God’s Word takes us deeper than nature. It stirs our inner being, gives light to our eyes and joy to our hearts.
Whereas nature reveals that a powerful God exists, God’s Word reveals that a personal God exists.
The prophet Amos records, “He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth—the Lord Almighty is his name” (Amos 4:13).
The same God who created the mountains and the wind has chosen to reveal His thoughts to mankind. Why? Because He created us for a relationship with Him. He wants us to know Him. That’s why He gave us His Word. The Bible is the place where God has chosen to reveal Himself—His thoughts, His ways, His plan.
This is why we memorize Scripture, to know God’s thoughts and make them our own.
Nature is God’s universal declaration that He exists. God’s Word takes us deeper by telling us who He is, and what He is like. Without God’s Word we don’t know that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that those who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.
The next time you hear someone say, “I get to know God in nature” let that be your opportunity to take them deeper, to the place where God discloses His thoughts.
WOW Janet,
You really rocked today’s post. Living in New Mexico I hear that sentiment often, I can worship God while hiking,or golfing .Thank you for your wisdom.Beautiful post.
Thank you Paulette. There was so much more I wanted to add but I kept myself to the 400 word limit. To summarize Romans 1:18-31, through nature God displays his invisible attributes to all mankind so that they are without excuse. No one can say that God has not made himself known. However, when people suppress the truth of God’s existence, their thinking becomes futile, their hearts are darkened and godless behavior is the result. Unfortunately that is what we observe all around us every day.
This was anointed. Thank you so much.
How meaningful, Janet, to open up your blog just now and see the picture and read the first words of Psalm 19, which I had already planned to start memorizing today!!! It is extra special now to do it after reading your post. Thank you!
Love this! Especially the truth that God is a personal God! And that we can get to know Him as He has taken the initiative to reveal Himself through Scripture. “. . . if you seek Him, He will let you find Him . . .” 1 Chronicles 28:9 (David’s words to Solomon)
So many miss the “personal” for the “powerful”, and in doing so turn the powerful into something of their own personal making—whatever that might be. I previously lived on the West Coast where, in many areas, paganism is rampant. (white witchcraft —worship and “use of the power” of nature… ) I’ve seen what this does. Those without the “personal” are empty as the God shaped vacuum in their soul cannot be filled by merely championing environmental causes—(as if they could preserve what they are worshipping.)
Memorizers comprehend what scripture says— the way to the POWERFUL & PERSONAL is His Word in our heart. Memorizing also makes us more like Christ, so we can shine like a light to those who are “darkened in their understanding, and separated from the life of God” (Eph 4:18).
Waterspout Woman, here. I knew you were talking about me when you mentioned it above. I witnessed the biggest waterspout this summer that I have ever seen on the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, it captured a lot of attention when I submitted videos of it to TV stations. But, in the moment, because I am learning God’s word, I knew that what I was seeing was more than just a manifestation of God’s power. He brought to my mind scripture as I looked on. I thought of Moses and what he must have felt watching the Red Sea part; I reflected on Elijah and what it might have been like for him as he was taken up in a whirlwind; I went back to Jonah and his epic adventure on the seas; I wondered if the feeling I was experiencing was anything like what people on Earth will feel when they see Jesus coming back and riding on the clouds. All of this scripture in my mind at once, combined with the extraordinary natural event in front of me, was mind blowing and all I wanted to do was fall to my knees and worship my God who did all these things and revealed himself to me in many ways at once. It would not have been nearly as impactful if I had not hidden away scripture in my heart beforehand so that it would be there to draw from at the appointed time.
Yes, that’s you, and I enjoyed watching your waterspout segment on the Weather Channel, “Weather Caught on Camera.” I only wish they hadn’t dropped all of your great insights about the Lord. But I shouldn’t be surprised that even those who every day see God’s power in nature, cannot see beyond the natural realm. They don’t have eyes to see the One behind nature’s phenomena.