NATURE
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM NATURE?
BIBLE READING: Psalm 19:1-14
KEY BIBLE VERSE: The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. (Psalm 19:1)
NATURE TEACHES US ABOUT GOD’S CHARACTER.
In this psalm, David’s steps of meditation take him from creation, through God’s Word, through David’s own sinfulness, to salvation. As God reveals himself through nature (19:1-6), we learn about his power and our finiteness. As God reveals himself through Scripture (19:7-11), we learn about his holiness and our sinfulness. As God reveals himself through daily experiences (19:12-14), we learn about his gracious forgiveness and our salvation.
NATURE CAN TEACH US HUMILITY AND WONDER.
We are surrounded by fantastic displays of God’s craftsmanship-the heavens give dramatic evidence of his existence, his power, his love, his care. To say that the universe happened by chance is absurd. Its design, intricacy, and orderliness point to a personally involved Creator. As you look at God’s handiwork in nature and the heavens, thank him for such magnificent beauty and the truth it reveals about the Creator.
NATURE CANNOT TEACH US EVERYTHING NECESSARY FOR LIFE.
The apostle Paul referred to this psalm when he explained that everyone knows about God because nature proclaims God’s existence and power (Romans 1:19-20). This does not cancel the need for missions, because the message of God’s salvation found in his Word, the Bible, must still be told to the ends of the earth. While nature points to the existence of God, the Bible tells us about salvation. God’s people must explain to others how they can have a relationship with God. Although people everywhere should believe in a Creator by just looking at the evidence of nature around them, God needs us to explain his love, mercy, and grace. What are you doing to take God’s message to the world?
BIBLE READING: Matthew 8:23-27
KEY BIBLE VERSE: And Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm. (Matthew 8:26)
NATURE TEACHES US ABOUT GOD’S POWER.
Although the disciples had witnessed many miracles, they panicked in this storm. As experienced sailors, they knew its danger; what they did not know was that Christ could control the forces of nature. There is often a stormy area of our human nature where we feel God can’t or won’t work. When we truly understand who God is, however, we will realize that he controls both the storms of nature and the storms of the troubled heart. Jesus’ power that calmed this storm can also help us deal with the problems we face. Jesus is willing to help if we only ask him. We should never discount his power, even in terrible trials.
BIBLE READING: Romans 1:18-32
KEY BIBLE VERSE: From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20)
NATURE TEACHES US THAT GOD EXISTS.
What kind of God does nature reveal? Nature shows us a God of might, intelligence, and intricate detail; a God of order and beauty; a God who controls powerful forces. That is general revelation. Through special revelation (the Bible and the coming of Jesus), we learn about God’s love and forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life. God has graciously given us both sources that we might more completely believe in him.
NATURE’S REVELATION IS DISTORTED.
God reveals his divine nature and personal qualities through creation, even though creation’s testimony has been distorted by the fall. Adam’s sin resulted in a divine curse upon the whole natural order (Genesis 3:17-19); thorns and thistles were an immediate result, and natural disasters have been common from Adam’s day to ours. In Romans 8:19-21, Paul says that nature itself is eagerly awaiting its own redemption from the effects of sin (see Revelation 22:3).
