As a high school student I had the opportunity to hear author and speaker Don Richardson, a missionary anthropologist, tell riveting stories of his encounter with remote people groups. He had recently returned from Papua New Guinea where he and his wife lived with a primitive Sawi tribe of cannibalistic headhunters. Richardson shared how the Sawi came to understand the Gospel through the idea of sacrificing a son, something that was practiced in their culture as a way of bringing peace to a region. Once Richardson divinely discovered this connection to the Gospel story, introducing the Sawi people to a relationship with Jesus seemed natural.
In Romans 1:20, Paul suggests that all humanity, past and present, has the capacity to understand who God is and what He is like through nature. They may not all understand every aspect of what it means to follow Him, but they can recognize that He exists through what they can see all around them.
In Hebrews 1:6 we read: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Here, the author adds another piece of gaining an understanding of God — not only believing He exists but actually seeking Him.
When we look for God, He will be found by us. Sometimes He may seem distant but, in those times, head outside on a cloudless night and look up. You will “see” Him if you earnestly look for Him.
Heavenly Father, remind me of your presence on a daily basis and help me to see you at work all around me. Amen.
Go Deeper — In conversations with those who may not know God, never assume that they don’t already recognize His existence.
Photo Credit: aquachara