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. – Romans 1:20
Have you ever stood facing a mountain range or the vast ocean and felt overwhelmed by the beauty before you? Or maybe you’ve looked up at a night sky bursting with stars and felt something stirred deep inside – something that whispers, “There’s more.”
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, is boldly declaring that God has made Himself known – clearly through what He has created. The evidence of God is not hidden. It’s in plain sight, written across the sky, echoed in the ocean’s rhythm, and displayed in the intricate design of every living thing.
In Romans 1, Paul is addressing a society rich in culture and intellect, but often spiritually blind. He’s not speaking harshly, just to condemn. Paul’s calling them to wake up to what they should already see. He tells them that God’s eternal power and divine nature have been on display since the very beginning.
The people of Rome, like so many of us today, had knowledge but missed the wonder. They exchanged the Creator for created things. Paul points out that their ignorance wasn’t due to a lack of evidence. It was refusal to acknowledge the evidence before them. That’s why he says they are “without excuse.”
My husband is an outdoorsman. I think of so many mornings we have spent either on the river or in the woods. The air is crisp. The sunlight is just breaking through trees. We can hear birds singing their morning songs, animals scurrying. In that atmosphere, I always sense God’s presence more clearly then so many other places and times. It always reminds me that God is not distant. God is present, alive, and revealing Himself every day.
Romans 1:20 is both comforting and convicting. It reminds us that God doesn’t play hide and seek. He reveals himself. But… it also challenges us to open our eyes, to stop walking past sunsets, people, and miracles of life without recognizing the Author behind them.
When we ignore creation’s testimony, we start to miss the voice of God. Paul’s words are a reminder to stop, to look, and to see. God has written His signature across creation. Every leaf, every wave, every heartbeat speaks of Him. The question is, are we listening? Are we seeing?
Let today be a day where you pause to take in what God has made and see Him more clearly.