You probably think this blog is going to be about being lost in a forest and not knowing which way to turn. It’s not. It is about knowing God through His creation. Paul writes in Romans 1:19-21, …that which is known about God is evident within them[mankind]; for God made it evident to them [mankind]. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Paul is telling us that the attributes of God can be understood by His creation – and what better way to see these attributes than in the middle of the forest? It is way beyond the scope of this blog to discuss all the attributes of God (That would be many books long.) so I will only focus on three aspects of nature where God’s attributes can be seen, the wind, color and intricacy.
The Wind
The forest is not a quiet place, especially if there is a breeze. The wind blowing the leaves on the trees is really noisy. My sister and I were hiking in a pristine forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan one summer. The trees were like skyscrapers swaying in the wind. It hit both of us how loud the trees were as the wind was blowing through them.
As God is invisible, so is the wind. And yet we know the wind is real because we can css how it makes the leaves on the trees move and the branches of the trees rub against each other and creek. So it is with God. Because He is spirit, we cannot see him, but we can see how He makes events in our lives move and take shape. We can hear His boice speaking to us with encouragement and love as we hear the rustling of the leaves.
Color
As the trees are just beginning to be tinged with fall color, I look for trails to hike through the forest. I enjoy the colors of the leaves and the feel of the fallen leaves crunching below my feet. I’m so glad God loves color. Nothing that man has created can come close to the colors God has and continues to create. Even when we take a photo of a beautiful scene, the colors just aren’t quite right. Artists have painted with brilliant colors, but no one comes close to being able to create the depth of color in a maple tree in autumn.
Given these nuances of color, we can see that one attribute of God that isn’t really overtly talked about often is how God is not only a God of right and wrong, but really is a God of nuances. I’m not saying that God’s justice is relevant, because nothing is further from the truth. Rather, I’m saying God has a complete depth of understanding us that is beyond our human comprehension.
After Peter preached to Cornelius and his family and actually saw the Holy Spirit come upon these Gentiles, he spoke to the Council in Jerusalem concerning what the Gentiles needed to do to become followers of the Way. There was a question that came up concerning how much of the Jewish law pertained to them and their salvation. Anyway, Peter talks about how God sees our heart. Acts 15:7b-9 records his words. “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them [Cornelius and his family, ie. Gentiles] giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us, and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.” Just as God creates the nuances in color, He creates our hearts which are inherently full of emotions and thoughts. So even though God wants our actions to be righteous, He considers our hearts when things don’t seem so righteous. He understands the colors of our hearts and acts accordingly.
Intricate Design
Have you ever held a golden leaf up to the sun and contemplated the intricacy of it? Or how about the tiny details of the ferns growing on the forest floor? These speak to how intricate God is. Indeed, He has created all living things down to their very cells. It really amazes me how God functions in the itty-bittyness of it all.
I am in awe of the working of DaVinci’s mind and how he sketched out machines that wouldn’t be invented for hundreds of years in the future. His designs are detailed and a testament to his creative mind. And yet, he is like a 2 year old in his creative ability when compared to God, the master creator.
What is the human body except an intricate machine? And the brain? Medicine is still countless eons away in its understanding of the brain and the body and complete understanding in how they work.
So, in the middle of the forest, we can see God’s handiwork. When we do, however, we need to remember to thank Him for His creation. We need to also thank Him for creating us in such a way that we are able to understand who He is through His creation. Let’s make sure we honor God with our lives as we bring others back to the innate understanding of who God is.
