Week 2 – What Can We Learn from God’s Handiwork?

Nov 29, 2010 Gary Henry A - God's Existence

“. . . because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19,20).

There is much to be learned about God from the world that He has made. Having created the world, God “did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). The truth about our Creator is not hidden. He has left evidence of His power and His goodness everywhere we look in the realm of nature.

But just observing nature doesn’t teach us much. It’s the thoughtful observation of nature that deepens our understanding. Henry David Thoreau said, “Only that day dawns to which we are awake.” It’s important not only to see the world, but to catch the significance of what we’re seeing. We have to wake up and pay attention, actively engaging our minds in a consideration of what’s around us.

In our day, unfortunately, many people suffer from a lack of any real involvement with nature. The hectic pattern of modern life is such that there’s not much chance to feast our minds on the variety of wonders in God’s creation: the different seasons, the different kinds of weather, the different types of terrain, etc. We have to make a conscious choice to get out and get into contact with nature. But even though it takes extra effort, there’s a great benefit to getting outdoors. The more personal involvement we have with what God has made — engaging all five of our senses — the more we have a chance to learn about God Himself.

Many good things result naturally from the contemplation of God’s creation. Two of the most important results are gratitude and praise. “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land” (Psalm 95:1-5).

“All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You” (Psalm 145:10).

Monday: Psalm 8:3-5

Key Idea: When we think seriously about the world God has created, we are filled with awe and wonder.

1. Have you ever experienced the feeling David expresses in vv.3,4? Have you ever looked up at the stars and been (1) filled with awe at how small one human being is in all the vast universe, but also (2) amazed to remember that God lovingly cares for every person that He has ever created? What did Jesus say in Matthew 10:29-31?
2. In v.5, consider the “glory and honor” with which God has crowned human beings. What is our role or status in relation to everything else in the physical universe? See also vv.6-8. Consider Genesis 1:26-28.
3. Going back to Psalm 8:4,5, wasn’t Jesus Christ the ultimate fulfillment of this passage? Look at Hebrews 2:5-9. As the “Son of Man,” wasn’t Jesus the complete, perfect summation of everything God had intended the human race as a whole to be?
4. In a day when many people seem to think of God in such familiar terms that He becomes little more than a good friend, don’t we need to recover a sense of “awe” and “wonder” with respect to the majesty of God?

Tuesday: Psalm 19:1-6

Key Idea: The universe declares not only the existence of God but also His glory.

1. How do the heavens “declare” the glory of God? Since the heavens don’t literally “speak” to us about God, is there some conclusion about God that is “declared” to us when we thoughtfully observe the universe?
2. What conclusions can be drawn from the uniqueness of the planet earth in all of the universe? By all accounts, nothing has been found anywhere in all the vast stretches of the universe that comes close to being like our planet. Earth’s mind-boggling diversity of life and beauty are simply unique in the universe. What conclusions does this fact lead us to?
3. In his youth, David had been a shepherd. What opportunities would David have had during these years to be impressed with the handiwork of God?
4. How many different ways might we fill in the following blanks? If __________ is true about the universe, then __________ must be true about God.
5. What is meant by the saying “From nothing, nothing comes”? How does this principle apply to the origin of the universe? What does Hebrews 11:3 say about the fact that “something” exists where previously there was “nothing”? See also Psalm 33:6; 148:5,6; 2 Peter 3:5.
6. Doesn’t the marvelous design that we observe in the realm of nature argue that there must be a Designer of great wisdom and power? What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen in nature that moved you to say, “This could not have just ‘happened’?”

Wednesday: Psalm 89:11-18

Key Idea: The works of God’s creation exhibit the qualities of His personal nature.

1. In this passage, what attributes of God are said to be reflected in His creation?
2. When we observe the works of a craftsman, an artist, a writer, etc., don’t we often draw some conclusions about the kind of person the producer must be? Don’t the things we make give evidence of our own nature and character?
3. The question “What kind of God is God?” is an important question. What different things about God’s nature are suggested by the things around us that He has created?
4. In Romans 1:19,20, what does Paul mean when he says that God’s “power” and “Godhead” are shown in His creation?
5. In Genesis 1:31, we are told, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” In what ways can we say that God’s creation is “good”? What does the goodness of creation tell us about God Himself? In what ways has sin marred the goodness of the creation?

Thursday: Psalm 75:1

Key Idea: When we consider the wondrous works of God, gratitude is the right response on our part.

1. In this verse, what reason is given for our thanksgiving to God?
2. In Romans 1:21, what two things did these people fail to do toward God even though they “knew” Him?
3. Look up the word “appreciate” in the dictionary. What do we mean when we say that someone has no “appreciation” for beauty, greatness, etc.? How can we develop a deeper appreciation for God’s creation?

Friday: Psalm 148:1-6

Key Idea: From the magnificence of God’s creation, we learn to worship and praise Him.

1. What different aspects of God’s creation are mentioned in this text?
2. How should we define “worship” and “praise”?
3. As we experience the joys of nature, shouldn’t we also express that joy to God and to others? If we understand God’s greatness, should we not also acknowledge that greatness? Is it important to acknowledge God in our deeds as well as our words? Consider Titus 1:16.
4. Slowly read the description given in Revelation 5:8-14. What is the main impression you receive from this reading?
5. In Psalm 9:1,2, what are we to do with our “whole heart”?

Putting It All Together

There are many powerful lessons to be learned about God from His creation. But these lessons will be lost on us if we don’t observe nature and think about what we’re observing. When we deal seriously with what God has made, the natural results are gratitude and praise.

Gary Henry – WordPoints.com