Family Devotion #2 (Read Psalm 19:1-14)
When our kids were little, they enjoyed playing hide and seek. We walked into their rooms and suddenly they were gone, or so it seemed. Then we heard giggling under a pile of blankets. Of course, we pretended not to notice, and suddenly… BOO! They jumped out to scare us. We played along and they loved it.
That makes me think of an important question: Is God hiding from us?
How can we find Him? Can we really know what God is like, or is He too far away?
The Bible teaches that God is greater than we can fully understand. He is infinite, powerful, and beyond our imagination. No human can ever completely figure Him out. But here’s the amazing truth: God is not hiding. Even though our understanding is limited, and even though sin has blurred our spiritual vision, God has chosen to reveal Himself to us. He wants to be known.
Psalm 19 shows us how God does that.
God Reveals Himself Through Creation
“The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1)
When King David wrote this psalm, he spent many nights outside as a shepherd, staring up at the stars. You’ve probably done something similar, looking at the night sky while camping or standing in your backyard. The stars are beautiful. And they tell a story.
Creation speaks to everyone, everywhere, without using words. You don’t need a degree in theology or even a spoken language to understand it. When we look at the universe, we learn some important things about God.
Creation shows us God is powerful.
The universe is massive. There are billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars. God spoke it all into existence. That kind of power is beyond anything humans could ever achieve.
Creation shows us God is wise.
Everything in nature works together. The earth is exactly the right distance from the sun. Gravity is just strong enough. The air has the right mixture of gases for us to breathe. This didn’t happen by accident. It points to an intelligent Designer.
Creation shows us God is good.
The planet not only supports life but it is filled with beauty. Picture the mountains, oceans, sunsets, and the various animals. He didn’t have to craft such an extraordinary universe, but chose to do so. It shows that He cares for us, and wants us to delight in Him.
Nature constantly points to God, day and night. Because of that, no one can say, “I had no reason to believe in God.” Creation gives us enough evidence to know there is a Creator. But it doesn’t tell us everything. It can’t explain why the world is broken, or how it will be made new. We need something more to teach us the way to enter a right relationship with the Lord.
God Reveals Himself Through Scripture
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” (Psalm 19:7)
God didn’t stop with creation. He chose to speak clearly and personally through His Word, the Bible.
The Bible isn’t just a collection of human thoughts about God. Over and over again, Scripture says, “Thus says the Lord.” God spoke through prophets and apostles, guiding them so that what they wrote was truly His message.
David describes what God’s Word does for us:
It restores us when we are broken.
It gives wisdom when we don’t know what to do.
It brings joy to our hearts.
It gives light when life feels confusing or dark.
The Bible shows us who God is, who we are, and why we need Him. Most importantly, it points us to Jesus. The Old Testament looks forward to Him. The New Testament tells us about His life, death, and resurrection. Through Scripture, God doesn’t merely introduce us to religion. He invites us into a relationship.
David says God’s Word is more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey. Why? Because nothing else satisfies our deepest needs the way God’s truth does.
God Reveals Himself Through Jesus
The greatest way God revealed Himself was by sending His Son.
Jesus didn’t just tell us about God. He showed us what God is like. God became human. He walked among people, loved them, taught them, and ultimately gave His life to save them.
Jesus said that no one truly knows the Father except through Him (John 14:6). That means if we want to know God personally, not just know about Him, we must look to Jesus.
Through Jesus, God shows us His love, His grace, and His desire to forgive and restore us.
Why This Matters
God is not distant. He is not silent. He is not hiding.
He reveals Himself through the world around us, through the truth of Scripture, and most clearly through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of that, faith isn’t blind. We believe because God has made Himself known.
The question isn’t whether God has spoken.
The question is whether we are willing to listen.
Discussion Questions…
1. What are some things in nature that make you think there must be a powerful and creative God?
- Scripture to look up: Romans 1:19–20
- According to this verse, what does creation help people understand about God?
2. Is it possible to believe that God exists but not really know Him? Why do you think that happens?
- Scripture to look up: Acts 17:26–27
- What does this passage say about God wanting people to find Him?
3. David says God’s Word “refreshes the soul.” What do you think that means in everyday life?
- Scripture to look up: Psalm 119:105
- How can the Bible help us when we feel confused or stuck?
4. Why do you think God gave us the Bible instead of only letting us learn about Him from nature or our feelings?
- Scripture to look up: 2 Timothy 3:16
- What does this verse say the Bible is useful for?
5. What does Jesus show us about what God is really like?
- Scripture to look up: John 14:8–9
- Why did Jesus say that seeing Him is like seeing the Father?
6. What are some reasons people don’t listen to God, even when He is speaking?
- Scripture to look up: Hebrews 3:7–8
- What does this passage warn us not to do?
For further study…
- Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem. Chapter 10: “The Knowability of God”
- A Dispensational Theology, Charles F. Baker. Chapter 6: “Revelation”