“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”–Psa. 19:1
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”–Psa. 19:7
As a boy, born and raised in the Ozarks, I spend a lot of nights sleeping outside under the stars. Back then we didn’t have A/C. In fact when I started school we didn’t even have water or a bathroom in the house. We didn’t even have a refrigerator– we had an “ice-box”, where you kept things cool by putting a block of ice in the box. So to get a bit of relief from the heat during the hot summertime I spent many nights sleeping outside on a blanket in the back yard. It was an educational experience.
I can remember laying there looking up at the stars wondering, “Where did all this come from?”. We didn’t attend church and I had never read the Bible, but I had overheard mom talk about God. So as I lay there watching for falling stars, I thought to myself there must be some higher power, greater force, or God that created all of this. Still, I was as dumb as a rock about spiritual things. All I knew was what I could see in nature.
It wasn’t until I was 24 that I heard the gospel. Although I was compelled by the testimony of nature to believe there must be a God, I knew nothing about Him and what He had done for me– until, out of desperation, I started going to church. While the works of God in creation declare the glory of God they do not declare the gospel of Christ. By looking at creation I could see the works of God, but not the will of God. Looking at creation I could see something of God’s wisdom and power, but not His love. I needed more than the marvel of creation. I needed the message of Christ. I needed more than the revelation of creation, I needed a relationship with Christ. And for that we must believe the gospel rather than just behold His glory in nature. To find what you need you must turn to the Scriptures rather than science. The grandeur of creation can tell you only so much about God. It cannot tell you how to be forgiven of sin or free from sin. For that information you must turn to God’s word. It is “perfect” and “sure, making wise the simple”.–HDS
