“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. 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 1:19-21
Last night I was on the deck until almost midnight just looking at the sky. It was still really warm that late at night and I really enjoyed the peace and quiet. It reminded me of the above verses, so I thought I would share them today.
Paul wrote these words to the Romans in an attempt to show how many had replaced the creator with the creation as an object of worship. Of course, like all of God’s Word, it is just as relevant today as it was in Paul’s time. Actually, since the world is degrading with time, it is probably even more relevant today than it was in those years following Christ’s death.
When we look at the intricate detail of the smallest things in nature up to the huge and complex design of the whole universe and remain objective, our only conclusion is there must be a designer. Unfortunately, the complexity and beauty of the creation have not pointed people toward God, but toward worshiping the creation itself. We who live here in Oregon can easily find ourselves in that kind of a predicament. It is so beautiful here we can lose sight of who has made things so beautiful here.
I have often hear the phrase, “I am spiritual, but not religious. If I want to connect with God I go to the (insert favorite nature place here… river, mountain, camp, hike).” And who can blame them? There are so many places that are so serene and can give us such a variety of emotions- from peace to excitement. But what we can never forget is this- although tho
se might be places for worship, the places cannot be worshipped. In other words, no one can object to us worshipping there, but the place cannot be the object of our worship.
Every time we sit beneath a sky (like I did last night) it becomes a reminder, a lesson so to speak, about who God is. That reminder is what changed British Professor and Philosopher Anthony Flew in 2004. He was regarded by many as the world’s most acclaimed atheist and when he renounced his atheism in favor of theism, it rocked the world of science as much as the church would have been rocked if Billy Graham suddenly renounced his Christian faith. What was the basis of Flew’s conversion? The evidence around him. He became fatigued by having to ignore the undeniable design of all we see in favor of a fortunate stroke of good luck that brought this altogether so nicely.
We should never allow ourselves not to be in awe of the world around us. We should never take its beautiful design for granted. But we must also remember why it is here – to point us toward God, and although it points to Him, it should not be confused with Him. Paul says this two verses later when he writes, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles (Rom 1:22-23).” Creation represents the greatness of God, and without Him it would not exist. Let’s never degrade God by putting His creation above Him who is the creator. Check out the sky tonight and thank Him for the wonderful signposts He has made that emphatically, undeniably, and unquestionably point to Him.
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