For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:20
Conquering Trip 2016—It was close to hour six of our ten-mile, eleven-hour hike over the Columbine Pass that this verse resonated with me. At that time, we were at approximately 11,000 feet, and the 12,000 foot pass was right around the corner. It could have been my fatigue getting the best of me, but I really believe it was the Holy Spirit putting praise in my heart for the glory of God through His creation. Every few steps I would look around and audibly say, “Wow”. The beauty, height, and power of the mountain gave me a glimpse into the eternal power and divine nature of God.
If this was just a glimpse of God’s eternal power and divine nature, how glorious is it going to be when get to see God face-to-face and walk the new earth with him (Revelation 21 and 22)? One of our answers about God’s glory is found in Exodus in a conversation between Moses and God:
Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” Exodus 33:18-23
You probably know the story of Moses and how God felt about him. He was a man that God said, “You have found favor in my sight”, and yet, he would die if he saw the Lord’s face. That’s how serious His glory is, and although we don’t get to see Him now, we get to see these glimpses of Him in His amazing creation.
The other thought I had when approaching the 12,000 foot pass was how could anybody look at this beautiful creation and think that there is no God? How could someone think that somehow this just happened to come together by rocks colliding or some other chance occurrence? That is what the last line in Romans 1:20 is addressing. In this early part of Paul’s letter to the Roman Church, he is addressing the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and this verse is one of his early statements that there are no excuses for denying God. He clearly shows his eternal power and divine nature “in the things that have been made”, and on this trip and this particular day, his power and divinity could not have been made clearer to me from being surrounded by the mountains, trees, and streams.
So, I leave you with an every day challenge: whether you see mountains or oceans, the sun, the moon or the stars, or the way the wind blows through the trees, realize that is a glimpse into the glory of God and His eternal power and divine nature. Also, realize that when Jesus returns to redeem the whole creation from the power and corruption of sin and ushers in the New Heaven and the New Earth, we will get God’s full glory as we get to see Him face-to-face:
No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:3-5 (Bold added for emphasis)
