Romans 1:20 – Pot of Manna

Thursday: No One Like Our God

Text: 6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Neh. 1:6)

Teach: When Moses gave the people God’s commandments, he began by telling them to acknowledge that there were no other gods before the LORD. He is the creator, the one who breathed life into everything. As a young teen I learned this truth. We would sing a chorus that said, “There is enough of God in nature, His power is clearly shown. A man has no excuse for wondering. God and heaven are known (see Romans 1:20).”

Take: When I sit out under a clear sky and see the multitude of stars above, I can’t help but think of God speaking to Abraham or David penning Psalm 8. And I want to break into a chorus or two of “How Great Thou Art.”

This verse in Nehemiah speaks to me of perspective: how great God is and how small, or insignificant, I am. And yet he loves me. He loves us. It really is amazing.

Task: We will have God’s perspective when we are aware of our position in relation to him. Psalm 8 tells us that God’s majesty fills the earth, but that he made us to care for his creation. There is trust and relationship implied throughout his Word. Pray through Psalm 8.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c]
5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e]
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

²⁰For 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

Once upon a time, in a very distant church, a young pastor was given the task of providing children’s stories during the Sunday morning worship hour. That pastor was me and I loved it.

It was so much fun to bring spiritual applications to the wide open minds and hearts of children.

It wasn’t hard for me because I grew up believing Romans 1:20. I sang about it in church choir. I can still sing the song. “There is enough of God in nature, his power is clearly shown. A man has no excuse for wandering. God and heaven are known. God and heaven are known.” (You can find the whole musical on youtube: The Apostle-Continental Singers 1973.)

I am wired to see spiritual things in common place things. This is so true one girl told her mom she thought I could make a sermon illustration out of a booger. I probably could, but I’ve refrained and restrained myself.

But it all came back when I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

My grandson is in a PBJ phase. But a simple sandwich is not enough for him. He prefers one that looks more like this:

He is happiest with a super thick layer of chunky peanut butter and a thin smear of strawberry jam…and it has to be triple decker.

So can God be seen in a triple decker PBJ sandwich?

I don’t mean like some people see him:

What I referring to is seeing God in the ordinary, the everyday.

What spiritual implication is there in a PBJ? I think we all go through phases where we want to taste and see that God is good (Psalm 34:8), but he wants to be the God of exceedingly, abundantly, above (Ephesians 3:20).

When we reach for all that God is, we find satisfaction and fullness of life.

Where will you see God today?

PRAYER: God of everywhere, thank you for wanting to be seen, wanting to be known. Open my eyes to see you, my ears to hear you…my heart to receive you. Speak to me in the ordinary, plain, and everyday things around me. Amen.

Tag: Romans 1:20

Rebuilding With Nehemiah, Chapter 9 Day 4

Even a Booger

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