Have you ever taken a stroll through the forest, and saw the sunlight glimmer through the trees, the gentle breeze on your skin and felt closer than ever to God? Thats because God reveals himself to us via his very own creation. Nature has always been a tool for healing, but can we also use it as a tool to get closer to God? Can it help us in our spiritual discipline and or quiet, devotional times? I believe it can which is why I want to take you on a deep dive on how to explore and connect with the beauty of God in nature .

Where in the Bible Does it Talk About Seeing God in Nature?

From the very first words in Genesis, to the last few chapters in Revelation, God’s relationship and interaction with nature, His creation, is mentioned throughout scripture. When God created the Heavens and the Earth, it was good. It was how the world was supposed to be, but then that snake came and… well, we know the story. Sometimes though we don’t always notice the details, we can’t see the woods for the trees as the saying aptly goes. Revelation ends with God giving us a glimpse into what the New Heavens and the New Earth will look like, and it looks just like earth as God created it. This should tell us something about how God views nature and all His creations.

The devil will twist and corrupt God’s most precious possessions; sex,Like this on Facebook families, church, and nature appear to be high on the devils list because they are high on Gods list.

So, what is it about nature that is so special? Nature is special because of what it reveals about God and the purpose it has in our lives as believers.

What Does Nature Reveal About God?

Natures beauty nurtures our spirit as we consider the majesty of the creator who made it. Nature revealing God is called ‘general revelation’ which refers to the broad truths about God that we might learn through His natural world.

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Creation reveals God’s Glory

The heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1.

It is no coincidence that all religions and traditions of the world believe that nature is special. They all could see the beauty, wonder and majesty of the world, and they knew that there was a superior power behind it. Some ascribed the glory to nameless gods, to others it was the celestial bodies, and to others, the trees and wind got the glory. Yet while the ancient peoples never had the truth of Knowledge of God, since Jesus brought us the gospel, we are no longer ignorant of the truth, 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.

Creation reveals Gods wisdom

How many are your works, lord! In wisdom you made them all: the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number – living things both large and small, Psalm 104:24-25.

Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and we know that the word fear here means holy reverence. How can we look at what God has created and not fall down in awe at what we are witnessing? We can only comprehend a tiny portion of the majesty of God, He has only revealed a little to us so how much greater is He?

Creation reveals Gods Power

Lift up our eyes and look to the heavens; Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing, Isaiah 40:26.

From the fiercest storm, the largest wave, the hottest sun, to sending your only Son to die on the cross for sins he didn’t commit. How powerful must God, capable of those things, be? 

Creation reveals Gods Providence

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these, Luke 12:27 .

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Psalm 8:3-4 . God provides all our needs, every single thing we need for survival, we find in abundance on the earth that he created specifically for us. 

Creation Reveals Gods Joy and creativity

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice, Psalm 96:12. 

Look at the petals on the wildflowers, the colours in the sky after a rain storm, the patterns on a snowflake, the laugh of a child; each of these things, and a million more, bring us joy and awe. The artwork reflects the artist, creation reflects the creator.

Creation reveals Gods Love

The Lord loves righteousness and justice: the earth is full of his unfailing love, Psalm 33:5.

When we take a broad look at creation, we see a God that created us in His image out of love. He not only created us, but supplied us everything we need in abundance and grace. He supplied Adam and Eve with clothing even after they defied God. He created the wild animals, the beautiful sunset, the majestic night sky and the tiniest atom all out of a unconditional love for us. We love because He first loved us, 1 John 4:19. He is love, that is who he is, and out of His abundance, we are capable of love. The natural world reveals that to us if we only look.

How to Connect with God in Nature

Connecting with God is something that we can and should do daily. Our head knowledge of God needs to be backed up with a heart knowledge of Him in the form of a loving relationship.  We don’t have to do anything to connect with God, we need only to be still. When we venture outside into nature, we can use the 5 senses that God gave us to inspire us to think about God in new ways.

Listen

Listen to this, Job: Stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge? Job 37:14.

Go outside, close your eyes, and listen. Listen to the sounds of creation. Hear the sound of the water trickling in the stream, the waves crashing on the shore, and the roar of a waterfall. Jesus tells us that if we come to Him, he can lead us to the streams of living water which He reveals to be the Holy Spirit.

Listen not only to the noise in nature but listen to the silence. God spoke to Elijah in a still quiet voice after the storm. Can you hear your name being called in the wind by God?

Look

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, Ephesians 1:18-19.

Creation points to God, when we see the beautiful intricacies of creation and we can know that he has pondered and thought about the tiny, seemingly insignificant details of a plant, so too has he considered the details of our lives.

When we look at the stars in the skies, the colours of a plant and the symmetry and patterns in nature, we can see the hand of God, and we can praise Him and give thanks for the beauty around us.

Smell

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, Ephesians 5:1-2.

Petrichor is the name given to the scent of the earth after a rain, a smell that I personally love. I love the smell of the forest, the salty air of the coast. When we walk in nature and come across a smell, may we be reminded that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins, he was a fragrant offering to God. Psalms 14:1 says Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, let this be a reminder for us, when we smell natures scent, that we offer our own prayers to God.

Touch  

There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God, 1 Samuel 2:2

Exploring the complexities of Gods creation leads us to the sense of touch. Textures play as varied a role in nature as scent, taste and visual differences, and it is one that is often overlooked. We can run our hand over the smooth bark of a tree, the soft fur of an animal, the scaly skin of a fish or the texture of a rock with each invoking a new sensation and feeling.

A rock is often considered to be strong and reliable, a solid point that will not move. When we see a rock, we can be reminded that not only did Moses strike a rock to provide water for the Israelites, but Jesus is the solid rock on which we can stand. He is the cornerstone of our faith, and we rely on him.

Taste

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him, Psalm 34:8.

When we spend time in nature, we can eat the fruits off the trees, taste the wild plants growing, or dig up the vegetables we plant ourselves and revel in the delights that God offers, let us be reminded that Jesus is the bread of life, and that we will never hunger again if we consume him. We consume the bread of life by reading the word of God.

Final Thoughts on God in nature

How each of us experiences nature is as different as our life experiences. Some people do not like being in nature, whilst other feel more at home there, and they feel it is easier to connect to God in his own creation.

Nature is not an entity worthy of worship; we should only worship the creator. God provided everything we need in this physical realm but also in the spiritual realm too.  We can use nature as an aid in our daily devotions and walks with God. God can speak to us and give us lessons through his natural world, maybe we should stop and listen. Nature alone is not enough, it is peaceful and healing, but our peace comes from God, our healing from Christ. Nature will never replace God, only shows a tiny part of who God is, but combined with scripture and fellowship, it opens doors to aid my understanding. Being in nature is healing to my body and soul, it fills me full of gratitude and peace, but only because it points to God.

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About the Author:

Lisa is the co-founder of Hebron Outdoor Ministries based in Northern Ireland. She is a mother of 2 girls and hold a degree in theology from Belfast Bible College. She enjoys time spent in the outdoors practicing her bushcraft skills, foraging, making art and praising God.

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