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Pastor's Blog August 13, 2020
"A Knowledge of God I"
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Adventists have a complicated relationship with nature. On the one hand, we believe God created nature for our enjoyment; on the other hand, most of us act like nature holds no innate value, especially because many think Jesus is only going to burn it up when he comes again.
To complicate matters more, Adventists believe God has revealed himself in nature, so we need to pay attention to its message; however, Adventists have historically approached the "knowledge of God" or even simply "knowing God" as primarily an intellectual activity - and many Adventists believe "knowing God" means "knowing information about him," so the only thing we learn from nature is that God is the Creator of everything. But Ellen reminds us that knowing God is about loving and trusting him, rather than listening to a classroom lecture about God.
In "Steps to Christ," she acknowledges that "nature speaks to our senses without ceasing" and "the listening ear can hear and understand the communications of God through the things of nature" (58; 1977 edition). But rather than give us academic information about God, who created things, He "invite(s) us to become acquainted with Him who made them all" (58).
God knows us, and God wants us to know him. And this is the purpose of God's communication to us in nature: "if we will but listen, God's created works will teach us precious lessons of obedience and trust" (58).
So what does nature teach us? It teaches us that we can trust Jesus to save us and reminds us to obey his teachings, which often included references to nature (58); it teaches us that God loves beauty, God loves to make beautiful things for us, and God loves to give us beautiful characters - so it's safe to trust and obey him (58); it teaches us that God cares about what happens to us and he provides for us, which means it's good to trust and obey such a loving and good God (58-59); and it teaches us that God will create a new heavens and new earth for all those he has saved, which invites us to place our trust in God now and obey him from a heart moved by love (59).
Friends, nature proclaims these truths whether or not we listen. Since God ceasely communicates to us through nature who he really is, why don't we take time to listen and avail ourselves of the lessons?
(*) Steps to Christ, Chapter 10— A Knowledge of God, 1977 edition
God Bless.
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
