| NASB | NLT | VOICE |
| 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. | 20 For 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. | 20 From the beginning, creation in its magnificence enlightens us to His nature. Creation itself makes His undying power and divine identity clear, even though they are invisible, and it voids the excuses and ignorant claims of these people. |
Nature shows us a God of might, intelligence, and intricate detail; a God of order and beauty; a God who controls powerful forces. Through this type of revelation, we learn about God’s love and forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. God has graciously given us many sources to help us full believe in him. The idea in Paul’s writing here is that God is found everywhere at all times. We find God’s existence and power through something like the weather, and we find it through something like a smile or a cheerful conversation. We find it through a random act of kindness, both received and given. There should be no doubt that a loving and compassionate God exists, and yet…there is doubt. There’s doubt that a loving God when there’s a genocide of a nation. There’s doubt that loving god exists when innocent children, teens, and people are murdered in a public shooting. There’s doubt that a loving god exists when people abuse their power for their own gains. There’s doubt – but where’s there is doubt, there is also faith. Faith that this loving creator exists. Faith that people in this world properly represent him. Faith that people who follow him care about the marginalized and the needy.
God reveals his divine nature and personal qualities through creation, even though creation’s testimony has been corrupted through the actions of Adam and Eve. Adam’s sin resulted in a divine curse upon all of creation. Thorns and thistles were an immediate result; natural disasters have been common from Adam’s day to ours. Even though we are a broken people, God’s greatest and majesty is still shown through us. Even though it feels as if our world is breaking apart, God’s goodness appears through the cracks. God is merciful, forgiving us of the evil that commit. God is gracious, loving us even when we turn away from him. God is patient, allowing us to mess up his creation and still letting us return to his arms. God is good, not causing the evil of this world but instead using the evil of this world for his own good. God is faithful, never leaving us no matter how far we stray from him.
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