“BECAUSE GOD HAS SHOWN IT TO THEM!”

 Romans 1:18-21                         (ESV)

GOD’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

“[18] For the WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress THE TRUTH. [19] For what can be known about GOD is plain to them, “BECAUSE GOD HAS SHOWN IT TO THEM”. [20] For HIS invisible attributes, namely, HIS eternal power and divine nature, have been CLEARLY PERCEIVED, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21] For ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW GOD, THEY DID NOT HONOR HIM AS GOD or give thanks to HIM, but they became FUTILE IN THEIR THINKING, and THEIR FOOLISH HEARTS WERE DARKENED.”

When I was barely four years old my mother and father divorced.  As a four year old, I don’t remember precisely what all transpired, but what I DO REMEMBER is that my father abruptly moved to Canada in the next couple of months, apparently to avoid paying child support for me and my two sisters.  He “lived there” until my youngest sister turned 20 years old, which was TWO YEARS (statute of limitations for child support at the time!) and then moved back to his home state!  My memories of not having a father present was something that I had to deal with for a long time, probably until after the funeral of my father in 1992?

The reason I share this is I cannot imagine not sharing in the lives of my children and grandchildren.  Not being able to remember my dad and his family is the result of a CHOICE made by my parents that I had NO SAY in!  However the results (good or bad) I had to live with.  There are MANY THINGS that I have avoided simply because GOD directed me away from those choices.  I wasn’t wise enough to make the right decisions, but ALMIGHTY GOD “must” have ordained for me to travel my path for HIS GLORY???

It is PLAIN to SEE that CREATION operates more precisely than mankind could have EVER designed!  Earth and the other planets AND galaxies have spun at precisely the correct rpm’s and velocity to avoid calamity since GOD spoke them into existence, yet we act as though GOD might have made a mistake when CREATING these worlds. “…The WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress THE TRUTH..” is probably one of the most damming statements in Scripture, as GOD plainly says that the “ungodliness and unrighteousness” suppresses THE TRUTH!   GOD doesn’t require a human to orate HIS disdain for “ungodliness and unrighteousness”, HE REVEALS HIS WRATH FROM HEAVEN, if we aren’t too “busy” to SEE and HEAR HIM!  

Probably THE MOST HEAVENLY revelation I have experienced is GOD showing me that HIS DIVINE WORD needs NO assistance!  Sometimes we are REQUIRED to adjust our abilities to HEAR HIM SPEAK, but that is USUALLY from us operating at the pace of “this world”!!!  For me to be able to HEAR and SEE what GOD has for me might require me to listen more intensely, “BECAUSE GOD HAS SHOWN IT TO THEM”, but am I listening to and for HIM?!?