Nature tells us everything we need to know about God. The Bible says we have no excuse for claiming we don’t know who God is because it’s all here for us to see in His creation. (See Romans 1:20)

And yet there are so many who don’t believe. How can this be?

Is it because we ignore nature? Pollute it, manipulate it, try to control it, pave over it, or avoid it?

To see God in nature, I have to pay close attention to nature. I have to observe it with an open mind and a curious heart. I should read what others have discovered, experiment on my own, learn from it, and share what I have seen, contributing to our collective knowledge. In so doing, I will learn about the Creator of it all.

“When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The “wise men” of the Bible were such keen observers of nature. From a far off land, they saw something in the sky that led them straight to Jesus. It touched them so deeply that they traveled hundreds of miles, through harsh conditions and unknown dangers, just to see this God. When they did, they were overwhelmed by Him. They fell to their knees in worship and poured out the treasures they had.

What did they see in that star? It must have been extraordinary.

Nature is extraordinary. When I look closely and contemplate it deeply, I too am overwhelmed by its Creator. How can we not know what things are made of — the smallest bits? How can we not know how far space goes and not see its end? How can we not even know how our own brains truly function? We study and study and never come to an end of learning.

God is infinite and unknowable, as is His creation, but He loves my searching. He reveals Himself every time I take a moment to notice.

Dear God, thank you for revealing yourself through nature to anyone who looks for you there. Teach me to be a keen observer, the way the wise men were, of anything you’d like me to see and know about you. Teach me also to take care of this world, your creation, as best I can in everything I do.