Scripture: “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?” – Job 12:7-9
Examination: Job rebukes his friends’ belief that God always punishes the wicked and always blesses the righteous. He then speaks to God’s sovereignty and power over His creation, reminding them that suffering is not always a direct result of sin.
Application: After the resurrection, the Bible tells us that there were still those who doubted Jesus had risen from the dead. Luke 24 recounts the story of two men who encountered Jesus as they traveled to Emmaus. They wore their grief on their faces, causing Jesus to ask, “What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” (v 17). They proceeded to explain about Jesus, a prophet of God, who had recently been crucified. While they mentioned that His tomb had been found empty, they gave no evidence that they believed He had risen from the death. They failed to see Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah. They were grieved because, in their eyes, a mighty prophet of God had been executed.
At the conclusion of their explanation, Jesus began to speak to them using Scriptures that referred to Himself, explaining that everything that happened was according to God’s plan. “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (v 26). However, it wasn’t until after Jesus had blessed and broken the bread for the evening meal that the two men realized with whom they were dining. They had missed all the signs… all the prophecies fulfilled… all the evidence that Jesus was the Christ, the sent One of God for whom all of Israel was waiting.
So many people today are looking for God, yet fail to see Him all around us. Because they cannot see God, they don’t believe He exists. Yet the proof is everywhere! Romans 1:20 states, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” The world demands proof of His existence, then denies the evidence presented. However, if you truly seek God, you will find Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 states, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
Here are three examples that provide clear evidence that God is.
1. I recently sat and watched a bumblebee flit from flower to flower. Gathering pollen is needed for the hive to thrive. As it moved from blossom to blossom, some of the pollen was transferred to other plants for the reproductive process. Without the bee, the flowers would struggle to propagate themselves. This little buzzing fellow was a beautiful display of divine design and purpose, not to mention how its wings work in a unique pattern to keep it in flight! Colossians 1:17 tells us God is the Creator and He sustains all life, “And He is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
2. As a former obstetrical nurse, I assisted in delivering babies. To realize that one single fertilized cell developed into billions of cells, forming tissues, organs, and systems that are ALL different in both make-up and function is beyond comprehension. That is definitive proof of God’s handiwork. Psalm 139:16 states, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
3. A lot of things have to fall into place in order to support life as we know it… and not just one particular form of life, but all the various species we have on this planet. Earth is exactly the right distance to support life with its water, the right temperatures, an atmosphere that filters and protects, and gravity that keeps our planet in the orbit it needs to be. How? Undeniably, God! Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
These are only three examples that point to “intelligent design” – the current euphemism for God. There are a plethora of other examples that support His existence, but unlike the two men from Emmaus, you must be expecting to see Him!
Upon the realization of who had been with them, those two men stated, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). If you sincerely want to find God, you must diligently search for Him with an open mind and heart, and you will find Him. Proverbs 8:17 records God’s promise, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
Memory Verse: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13
Stretching your thoughts:
1. What would you say to someone if they asked you how you know God exists?
2. If you don’t know how to respond, what could you do to prepare yourself to be able to answer this question?
There is a God--all nature speaks,
Through earth and air and sea and skies:
See, from the clouds his glory breaks,
When first the beams of morning rise.
The rising sun, serenely bright,
O'er the wide world's extended frame
Inscribes, in characters of light,
His mighty Maker's glorious name.
The flowery tribes, all blooming, rise
Above the weak attempts of art;
Their bright, inimitable dyes
Speak sweet conviction to the heart.
Ye curious minds, who roam abroad,
And trace creation's wonders o'er,
Confess the footsteps of a God;
Come, bow before him, and adore.
(from “God is Seen in His Works” by Anne Steele)