Learning about God through Nature

If I had to pick just one word to describe California’s Yosemite National Park, it would be “vast”. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the park of nearly 1,200 square miles is approximately the same size as the state of Rhode Island, and it contains roughly 800 miles of hiking trails. It is so big that even after we paid the entrance fee at the park ranger station, my husband, son, and I drove an additional 30 minutes into the park before reaching the main hiking trails.

During our short visit, we enjoyed two hikes which highlighted some of the main sights. As I gazed up, up, up at the towering granite cliffs, giant sequoia trees, and mountaintop waterfalls, I couldn’t avoid feeling very small. This type of smallness humbles you, ushers in awe, inspires purpose, and ultimately leaves you wondering about God. My guess is that you’ve had a similar experience somewhere in this world.

Nature does an incredible job at reducing us down to size while piquing our curiosity in its Creator.

Day and night, without uttering a word, nature reveals God’s character to us. You and I, we experience nature differently because of our unique personalities, experiences, and travels. But, we both receive opportunities to learn about God’s attributes like beauty, power, creativity, and intelligence through the outdoors. Consider this Scripture which testifies to God’s existence through nature:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. Psalm 19:1-6 NLT

Nature declares God’s qualities to everyone.

Traveling to a national park isn’t a requirement to learn about God through nature. His presence in the outdoors meets our senses wherever we are. We can look at the stars, feel an ocean breeze, enjoy a sunrise, gather fallen leaves, feed the birds, or a million other things. Even books and television documentaries about nature can help us infer what God is like.

Learning about God through nature does not depend on our language or location. In the outdoors, God provides a universally available source of information about himself. A Scripture from the Apostle Paul reminds us of this:

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 NLT

Does nature teach us everything we need to know about God?

When you enjoy the outdoors, it is easy to believe nature teaches you everything you need to know about God. I know because for most of my life I thought this way. But, things changed when my daughter got very sick and the doctors couldn’t figure out why.

Going for walks in the woods still brought me some peace, but not enough peace. Not enough hope. What does God say about suffering? How does he help us move forward in the midst of it? I could not reason through my feelings and questions using nature. I needed to find out what God actually says about life’s tough subjects. So, I started turning the pages of the Bible.

Nature itself is not our God, but it serves as a wonderful spokesperson for him.

While nature does helps us deduce some valuable things about God, it cannot give us the full story. Being in nature can make us more mindful of God’s presence, but it does not teach us everything we need to know about him.

Nature cannot teach us what sin is, who Jesus is, and why he chose to die for us. God’s offering of eternal life is not explained in the forest; it is explained through his words in the Bible. His specific expectations for how we should live, his gift of grace, and his power to transform are not spelled out on the side of a mountain; they are written in his Holy Book.

As a lifelong student with an appetite for learning, I crave good supplemental material and that is what nature is for me now. This beautiful world serves as my muse or inspiration which constantly points me back to the Bible as the way to clearly learn about the One who created everything.

We can use nature as a visual aid for many passages of Scripture we read.

Our experiences in nature can help us see segments of God’s Word in action and improve our knowledge about him. As we are enjoying nature, we can search for discoveries and reminders of God, then take our observations back to the Bible to study deeper meanings. In my own experience, connecting what I see in nature with something I’ve read in the Bible teaches me more than either one can alone.

This week I looked back on a few of the Yosemite photos. I jotted down some words describing how they reminded me of God’s character. Then, I researched Scriptures related to those words using the internet, Bible apps, and a concordance (Bible index) as sources. Take a look:

God is vast, limitless, beyond my comprehension

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

God stands beside me, has plans for me, carves out a way for me

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

God watches over me, protects me, saves me

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 NLT

God is good, powerful, beautiful, eternal

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV

Nature impacts each person uniquely and teaches everyone something about God. Connecting Scripture to experiences in nature deepens our learning even more.

When you and I look at the pictures above, the descriptive words and connected Scriptures we choose may be different. Our reflections are also likely to change on any given day.

God continually uses combinations of nature and his Word, along with life experiences, to tell us his story of love. We need to listen closely, then allow our minds time and space to form connections. He is a quiet, but patient teacher.

The world is a big classroom–definitely a vast place. God’s door is always open. Let’s press on in faith! ~Jamie

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

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Related Posts:

Prayer Walking in the Wilderness
This is the Day the Lord Made
Be Still and Know that I am God
Three Ways Gratitude Boosts Faith
More on my story: Learning to Pray and About this Blog

Inspiring Resources:

Yosemite information on Wikipedia
National Park Service–Yosemite details and photos
What is Natural Theology? from Got Questions website
15 Amazing Attributes of God from Bible Study Tools website
Bible Verses about Nature from Bible Study Tools website

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