Romans 1:20 — His Invisible Qualities Clearly Seen
His Invisible Qualities Clearly Seen
"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."
— Romans 1:20 (NIV)
Reflection
God does not hide. His fingerprints cover everything you see. Creation itself testifies to His power and nature, not as a whisper but as a declaration. The problem is not God's absence but your attention. Grief narrows your vision. Pain turns your gaze inward. Yet even in that constriction, the evidence of God surrounds you. Look up. Look out. His eternal power is written into the sky you ignore and the ground beneath your feet.
Paul says we are "without excuse" because God has made Himself known through what He has made. This is not condemnation for the grieving; it is an invitation to lift your eyes. When everything inside you feels empty, look outside. The sun rises without your permission. The seasons turn without your strength. God's power operates independently of your pain, and that is mercy. His divine nature is not contingent on your ability to perceive it clearly today.
Stop waiting to feel God's presence before you acknowledge it. The created order testifies whether you notice or not. Train your attention. Walk outside. Observe what endures despite your suffering. Let creation do what it was designed to do: point you beyond yourself to the One who made it all. God's invisible qualities become visible when you stop looking inward and start looking around.
Biblical Insight
Paul writes to the Romans establishing that God has revealed Himself universally through creation. The Greek word for "clearly seen" is kathoratai, meaning fully perceived or plainly visible. There is no ambiguity in God's self-disclosure through nature. His eternal power (aidios dynamis) and divine nature (theiotēs) are evident to anyone willing to observe. This passage confronts humanity's suppression of truth, but for the believer in grief, it offers reassurance: God's reality does not depend on your emotional state. His presence is as constant as the creation that bears His mark.
In Application
- Spend time outside observing creation, even when you do not feel like it.
- Let the reliability of natural patterns remind you of God's faithfulness.
- Resist the lie that God is absent because you cannot feel Him.
- Ask God to open your eyes to see His power in what He has made.
Practical Journaling
Reflect on Romans 1:20, then write honestly:
- What aspect of creation have you noticed recently, even in passing?
- How does the natural world's persistence challenge your sense of abandonment?
- Where do you see evidence of God's power today, outside your feelings?
- Write a prayer thanking God for one specific element of creation that endures.
If writing feels too heavy today, simply step outside and observe for five minutes without judgment.
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