Exceptions



This is not advanced by Paul as a proof of God\'s

existence since in v 21 he makes clear that he is

speaking of people who do accept God\'s existence.

Indeed, it could well be argued that for those

without belief in God there is nothing in existence

that is likely to convince them that there is a God for

as Jesus has implied, to find him one needs first

to seek him (Luke 11. 9, 10)

What such people need is a personal revelation of

God himself. Of course, that revelation of God might

come in a multitude of ways, including through nature.

But that is then an explicit act of God compared with

a realisation which comes from a conclusion arising

from the observation of nature.

In fact, I was for over twenty years without any real

belief in God and neither the beauty nor the grandeur

in nature made any difference to that. It was simply there.

Creation And Believers

For those who do know God the situation is

entirely different. At least, it should be different

and should make an obvious and direct difference to

our lives.

This is probably why Paul becomes so annoyed in the first

chapter of Romans with those who are living outside

the will of God. One can argue, in fact, that the

greater is one\'s conviction about God, the more

one can see of his nature in nature, so to speak.

Nature does not reflect everything of God, for

nothing could do that.But what it does reflect is

highly significant.

Paul speaks of divine power and grandeur. One can

see this in everything from a rainbow to a violent

storm; from the natural scars which typify many parts

of the landscape in Yorkshire, England, to the

awesomeness of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA;

to the towering redwoods of Canada, to the tiny

golden lady\'s finger flowers in Ireland, and so forth.

The reader will be able to think of many other

examples and comparisons, whether from the world

above or below sea, from the tropics to ice zones,

or from the multitude of creatures alive on this

planet - to say nothing of what might be found on

other planets, or what can be observed by this

generation in the depths of the universe

Deeper Revelations?

Do all these things reveal anything deeper about

God than their obvious grandeur and the fact (for

most of us except some physicists who struggle

against such conclusions) of divine power behind

it all?

As Christians, we ought, perhaps, to be aware that

on the whole, God leaves his creation \"to get on

with it\" according to the laws of physics, chemistry

and so forth which he has established. If something

of a catastrophic kind is set to happen in nature,

God allows it to happen: earthquakes, volcanic

erruptions, astronomic collisions. He does not, so far

as our observations and judgements tell us, interfer

to stop such things. People who know God can

accept that; those who do not know God find in it

a further reason for their disbelief.

We might then also draw the conclusion that the same

is true for the human side of his creation. That is,

for those sections of humanity which either do not

recognise God\'s existence or choose to ignore it.

In all essentials they are no different to the

inanimate parts of our world.

But if the Bible tells us anything at all, it tells us

repeatedly that God is ready and prepared to intervene

when his people request it in faith.

The Bible is full such instances and examples, whether

concerning man himself or the forces of nature. And

these contrast clearly with those who ignore the

Creator and with (“unavoidable")events in the

natural world.

Faith leads to faith since those who have faith

have that faith increased and developed by its

exercise, by how they perceive God to act and by

what they see around them of God\'s power and divinity.

They recognise that what God has made he

can also change, if he so desires - and if his people

ask in faith and for the right reasons.

When this is set alongside those experiences of

God\'s people which are recorded in the Bible, faith

leads to even more faith. The grandeur, power,

resourcefulness and beauty of God are intensified by

the faith which beholds them.