Recently my wife and I travelled to the mid-west of Western Australia to check out an amazing display of wildflowers, some found only in this part of the world. One that particularly impressed us is called a Wreath Lechenaultia or simply, a Wreath Flower. And, it is easy to see why it has that name.
As I stood and observed this plant, I couldn’t help but worship the One who created such a wonder. And there have been many over the millennia who have had that same response to God’s creation.
I read recently of Pablo Casals who was a cellist and conductor from Catalonia, Spain. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy. Although he considered himself “not religious in the way that many would think”, he once said that on waking the first thing he does is “go immediately to the sea, and everywhere I see God, in the smallest and largest things. I see him in colours and designs and forms.” (The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin in Reader’s Digest 2007)
David in Psalm 8:1 says: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.”
Job to his “friends” said:
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7-10)
It is no surprise then that David in Psalm 14:1 has little time for so-called atheists. In fact he suggests that anyone who says “There is no God” is actually a “fool”! In his own words: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’”.
Back to the wreath flower. Just consider for a moment where this plant grows. Not in some lush rain forest, but on the edge of dry red dust roads just like this one:
And it is here that they thrive!
Paul in Romans has the last word on atheism when he says,
19 …what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 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.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind…” (Romans 1:19, 21-22, 28)
Kidner writes concerning the statement “There is no God”, that this assertion “is treated in Scripture not as a sincere misguided conviction, but as an irresponsible gesture of defiance.” (see references # 29)
Phil Moore suggests that “David [and Paul] tells us that people do not become atheists through careful consideration of the facts, but by refusing to accept in their hearts what the facts all around them shout out is true.” (see references # 36)
Maybe they have never seen a Wreath Flower!
Father, we pray that you would open our eyes daily to see your hand in your amazing handiwork all around us. And, open the eyes of those who don’t yet understand the truth that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and that “Through him [Jesus] all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3) Amen
Tehilim (Psalms) - "songs of praise". 