Thought for Today
Genesis 1:11 Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day . . . 20 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." . . . 24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so.
“My morning cup of coffee on the marshy creek becomes a time to spend in nearness to God and creation – a time to pause and acknowledge God’s power, a time of gratefulness for God’s goodness. There is so much breathtaking beauty when we stop to notice the goodly heritage given by God.” (These Days, June 23, 2025)
I do not live adjacent to a marshy creek . . . or any other kind of creek. But, I do often relish my morning cup of coffee gazing out into the field behind our home. It is the view I enjoy as I write this and whenever I work on my computer.
That field was mowed this past weekend. This morning, as I look out at the fresh mown field, surrounded by tall trees, I too am inspired to pause and acknowledge God’s powers of creation and the rich heritage God has gifted us. My mind is filled with the tune and lyrics of For the Beauty of the Earth.
Many of my favorite hymns are focused on the wonders of God’s Creation. In seminary, I learned about revelation and especially about general revelation, “God’s self-disclosure and self-communication in the universe and created world (Ps. 19; Rom. 1:19ff). Theologians have debated whether faith is necessary to perceive this revelation and in what ways it is accessible to those who are sinners.” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, pg. 240)
We have addressed the issue of faith the last two weeks during worship. I often write about faith. Recently, it has seemed to be particularly prominent in my Thoughts, sermons and even in what I have been reading. Faith is central to what it means to be a Christian. Paul emphasized faith in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—”
I am intrigued by the debate mentioned in that definition above. Is faith necessary to perceive God in Creation? The author of Hebrews did not seem to have general revelation in mind when he (or she) penned, “11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That verse seems to reflect what we learned in seminary as divine revelation, “The self-disclosure and self-communication of God by which God conveys a knowledge of God to humans. It is important since it makes known that which is inaccessible to human reason alone.” (ibid, pg. 240)
What is the source of my own faith? Do I believe because of what I see all around me? Do I believe because of what I was taught by my parents as a little child? Has God somehow and for some reason revealed God’s self to me specifically? If so, why? All valid and significant questions.
Thankfully, the answer to all of those questions is “YES!” We are not limited to a single source or type of revelation. Maybe we should all remember the words of Jesus (always a good idea), “Luke 11:9 Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Can it really be that simple? Obviously, yes!
On those days when it does not seem so simple, we can remember another lesson from Jesus. In the 9th chapter of Mark we can find the story of the father whose son had a spirit that made him unable to speak. The prayer of that father is one we can all have occasion to pray, “9:24 . . . ‘I believe, help my unbelief!’” Even in the darkest hours, God is listening. Ask, search, knock. The door will be opened. Be assured of that for which you hope; be convinced of that which you do not see. Have faith.
Stay safe, accept God’s revelations, trust God,
Pastor Ray