Day 25

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

—PHILIPPIANS 3:10

“Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:4

Theology and philosophy give three answers to questions about the existence of God. They speak of Natural Revelation – by which we know God generally. They speak of Special Revelation – by which we know God specifically. And they speak of Personal Revelation –by which we know God personally.

By ‘natural revelation’, we mean there is evidence of God in the works of His creation. Psalm19 begins: “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.”

Creation reveals the Creator. We may suppress this revelation; we may undermine its credibility; we may regard it as naïve and simplistic, but the fact remains – creation reveals the Creator.

The first message from God a person reads is in the beautiful sunrise and sunset painted across the sky; in the marvellous intricacies of a tree and the beauty of a flower, in the power of Niagara Falls, or the vastness of the night sky. ‘Day after day, and night after night creation pours forth speech’ says the Psalmist. Christians, of all people, are those who appreciate beauty! We know from where it came, and we follow the trail back to the hands that made it.

 A beautiful old hymn has the words: Heaven above is softer blue,

Earth around is sweeter green;

Something lives in every hue

Christless eyes have never seen:

Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,

Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,

Since I know, as now I know,

I am His, and He is mine.

When we know God, everything else looks different! We see beauty for what it is – an expression of God Himself.

PRAYER: How awesome is your creation of this world, Lord. I am continually in awe of the natural splendour I see, and so grateful for yet another gift from your loving hands.

TO REFLECT UPON: When was the last time I paused to take in the beauty of God’s creation and gave Him praise?