Romans 1:18-23 The Message
Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral
18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The created world bears witness to the evidence of a Creator!
Some people can’t find God, do not want to find God, for the same reason that a criminal will not look for nor they can’t find a police man! They don’t want to!
God also knows I’m not the smartest person, will never be as smart as He is. I am so deeply grateful that his love for me is not based on how wise or foolish I am (Romans 1:14). But God does draw some lines that I need to understand.
I don’t know everything there is to know about God, but what if I suppress what I do know, or if I don’t take God seriously, or if I live in ways that deny the truth or undermine what God has said is truth? Then I will surely stir up God’s wrath.
That’s because truth is infinitely more important. In fact, Jesus said he is “the way and the truth and the life,” to which he added, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This means that when we are “suppressing the truth,” we block our way to God.
God knows the eternal consequences, the everlasting damage that our suppression of the truth can cause; he lost his Son once because of it.
“Smart, smarter, smartest” is not what God is asking of me; allegiance to the truth is what he demands. It’s the true starting place on the track of salvation.
Nature Reveals the Wonders of God’s Character
Romans 1:19-20 Complete Jewish Bible
19 because what is known about God is plain to them, since God has made it plain to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities — both his eternal power and his divine nature — have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made. Therefore, they have no excuse;
Our Creator’s qualities are on display in creation. Every time we go outside to discover, explore nature, we can learn something awe-inspiring about God.
Romans 1:19-20 explains that those who want to know more about God can discover his qualities in the natural world:
“For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Whenever we’re immersed in the wonder of nature, we’re reminded we have a wise and loving Creator who maintains, sustains all of creation – including us – in powerful ways.
Example: five aspects of nature commonly found around the world – the sun, water, rocks, trees, and flowers – revealing the wonder of God’s character;
1. The Sun Reveals God’s Life, Hope, and Wisdom
God is the ultimate light, and the sun shines a spotlight on that reality.
The sun symbolizes life which comes from a loving Creator who cares for creation. It shows us God’s fiery love, which motivates him to give us life and sustain our lives.
The Bible calls God the “sun of righteousness” in Malachi 4:2, “true light” in John 1:9, “light of the world” also in John 8:12, as a “consuming fire” in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews. 12:29, “refiner’s fire” in Malachi 3:2, and “bright morning star” in Revelation 22:16.
Just as all forms of life on Earth need sunlight to grow physically, we need the light of loving relationships with God to grow spiritually.
The sun sheds light on how God shines hope into the darkness of this fallen world.
The Bible uses light imagery in Ephesians 1:18-19 when describing the hope God offers:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.”
Physically, light always overpowers darkness. The photons in light can dispel darkness, but darkness cannot dispel light. You can see this by entering a dark room and turning on a flashlight there. The light will be visible in the darkness, even if there’s just a small amount of light in a great amount of darkness.
This same principle applies spiritually, as the light of hope is always stronger than the darkness of chaos, discouragement and despair. No matter how dark and chaotic our circumstances are, God can truly change them for the better by shining his very brightest light of hope into our lives.
Also, the sun reveals how God enlightens us with wisdom to know the truth and make the best choices.
The Bible connects light with wisdom in 2 Corinthians 4:6, proclaiming that God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
Jesus says he is the source of enlightenment:
“‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
2. Water Reveals God’s Salvation Work, Clarity, Purity, and Mercy
John 4:9-14 Complete Jewish Bible
9 The woman from Shomron said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for water from me, a woman of Shomron?” (For Jews don’t associate with people from Shomron.) 10 Yeshua answered her, “If you knew God’s gift, that is, who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink of water,’ then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water.”
11 She said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Ya‘akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle.” 13 Yeshua answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!”
Water splashes God’s salvation work into our focus.
In John 4:10, Jesus uses the term “living water” to declare his role as the world’s Savior.
A few verses later, Jesus uses the imagery of water to describe his gift of salvation: “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14). Water, which is absolutely essential for our bodies to thrive, points us toward saving relationships with God so our souls can thrive.
Water is constantly moving around our planet through natural cycles such as precipitation; evaporation; freezing, melting; currents in oceans, rivers, and lakes; the flow of groundwater, etc.
God is moving in our lives in every moment, often unseen but always at work. Water contains wondrous power that people tap into for hydropower energy, which reminds us of God’s even greater power to transform our lives.
Water, which has reflective qualities, also shows how the Holy Spirit counsels us with wise guidance.
God does so when we reflect on our lives and ask for his help to live well.
Water symbolizes clarity and purity. It inspires us to look clearly at our lives and purify them by working with God for positive change to happen.
Finally, water symbolizes God’s great mercy toward us.
Just as water cleanses our bodies from dirt, God cleanses our souls from sin.
The ancient practice of baptism in water shows this.
As people immerse themselves underwater, they accept God’s forgiveness and let their sins be washed away. As they rise from the water, they celebrate God’s salvation gift through Christ, made possible by his resurrection.
3. Rocks Reveal God’s Trustworthiness, Handiwork, and Eternal Yet Dynamic Nature
Rocks, which are reliably strong, point to the fact God is trustworthy.
The Bible calls God “rock” in First Corinthians 10:4, “living stone” in 1 Peter 2:4, and “cornerstone” in Isaiah 28:16.
Any type of rock can inspire awe in us, which deepens our trust in God.
As Deuteronomy 32:4 declares: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
The wonder of God’s handiwork is on display in every rock – from small pebbles at a creek to huge boulders on a mountain.
Beautiful gemstone rocks called crystals display God’s craftmanship in special ways. Chapter 28 of the Book of Exodus describes how God instructed Moses to have the Hebrew people make a breastplate with 12 different gemstones.
Each stone represented one of 12 tribes of Israel and included crystals with beauty that people continue to admire today: amethyst, ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, turquoise, and more.
Rocks also reflect God’s eternal yet dynamic nature.
The 3 different types of rocks on Earth all have long-lasting durability yet are formed through dynamic processes.
Metamorphic rocks come from intense heat and pressure, igneous rocks result from volcanic explosions, sedimentary rocks, form when layers of sediments compact together and harden.
Rocks literally set the history of our planet in stone.
4. Trees Reveal God’s Wisdom, Protection, and Connected Presence
Jeremiah 33:14-18 Complete Jewish Bible
14 “Here, the days are coming,” says Adonai, “when I will fulfill this good promise which I have proclaimed for the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah.
15 When those days come, at that time,
I will cause to spring up for David
a Branch of Righteousness.
He will do what is just and right in the land.
16 When those days come, Y’hudah will be saved,
Yerushalayim will live in safety,
and the name given to her will be
Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness].”
17 For this is what Adonai says: “There will never be cut off from David a man to occupy the throne of the house of Isra’el. 18 Nor will there ever be cut off from the cohanim who are L’vi’im a man before me to offer burnt offerings, burn grain offerings and offer sacrifices every day.”
Trees grow our perspective so we can understand more of God’s wisdom and protection for us.
Jeremiah 33:15 uses tree imagery in a prophecy about Jesus coming to Earth in the future.
“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.”
Trees, which stand tall as silent guardians, sentinels of all around them, can help us put roots into the solid ground of God’s loving care for us.
Experiencing the wonder of trees can teach us valuable lessons when we take the time to learn them. Trees, which tower over us and exceed our lifespans, enlarge our perspective. They show we are each part of something much bigger than ourselves, so we can look beyond our circumstances to God.
Since trees stand in the same places for years, they also reflect God’s constant presence in our lives. God’s love constantly flows through the branches of relationships between us and other people. Trees remind us that our personal stories are all connected to a greater story of what God is doing on Earth.
5. Flowers Reveal God’s Order, Fun, and Beauty
Flowers make our minds blossom with an awareness of God’s beauty.
They display the mix of God’s orderly intelligence with fun, playful ideas.
The wonder of flowers reminds us that God is the ultimate gardener.
God formed the first human being out of soil (Genesis 2:7) – the same environment that nourishes flowers – and loves to see us grow and bloom.
Jesus empowers that to happen when we’re in relationship with him.
He compares himself to a flowering plant (a vine) when he says, “I am the true vine and my father is the gardener” (John 15:1) and “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Jesus was resurrected from a garden tomb, redeeming humanity’s fall that had happened in the Garden of Eden.
All flowers have short lives.
They bloom briefly, only to decay soon afterward.
Yet God sees value in the wonder of all creation – even a lowly flower.
The Bible compares people to flowers numerous times and describes God’s care for both:
“Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28).
Flowers are living reminders of the beauty of our Creator’s love for creation, and the wonderful joy we can experience when we’re connected to him.
The wild beauty of nature resonates deep in our souls, reminding us that a powerful Creator cares for us.
Whether we’re hiking through a forest, climbing a mountain, swimming in a lake, or sniffing a rose, God will meet us there. Simply going outdoors in any natural setting can reveal something wonderful to us about God’s character!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Complete Jewish Bible
19 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he places a tent for the sun,
6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
with delight like an athlete to run his race.
7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky,
circles around to the other side,
and nothing escapes its heat.
8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
12 (11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.
13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.
15 (14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 