It has been easy in recent days in Louisville, Kentucky to marvel at the beauty and magnificence of nature, of all we can see and all that is beyond what the eye can see or the mind imagine. The weather has been gorgeous. Taking my dog for walks has been a tremendous pleasure for both of us after a summer filled with many hot, muggy days.
It is common for me when I am amazed at the beauty of nature to express my thanks and gratitude to the One whom I believe created this place and all life within it. I realize that not everyone shares this belief or inclination to attribute our world to a Creator, but it is a core part of my Christian faith. I do not have to check my brains or my respect for science at the door to believe it.
In the midst of this stretch of beautiful days, the weekly Bible study lesson at church yesterday was around the topic “God does not hide.” The main thought was that the magnificent creation we all enjoy points to a Creator, just as the existence of a painting points to a painter or the presence of a building points to a builder. No car ever came into existence as the result of a metal shop explosion, and our world is far more complex than anything mechanical could ever be.
Two verses referenced in the lesson Sunday were:
- “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1);
- “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
Each of us has the freedom to attribute or not attribute this magnificent world to a Creator. Only one of us, however, can be correct in that disagreement. I choose to believe the words of scripture as authoritative in all matters about which they speak, and this is one of them.
Therefore, I celebrate life and nature on this remarkable earth with leap year lesson #249: The heavens declare the glory of God.
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