Two weeks ago my wife and I had an incredible opportunity to view some beautiful locations on the west coast...the Pacific Ocean, 260 foot tall Redwoods, pristine mountain lakes, steep crags, volcanic mountains, etc.

On many of those visits I was reminded of Romans 1.20:
"Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. "

Until last week I had always understood that verse as a proof-text for God's existence, claiming that creation points to the existence of a creator. While I still think that's accurate, I now think that Romans 1.20 is not just emphasizing that God exists, but what God is like.

It's not just His existence that's made known through creation, it's His attributes, His power, His nature. Through the beauty of creation we not only learn that God exists, but what He is like.

The attribute of His nature that struck me while visiting these new sites was God's goodness. When I saw Mt. Shasta, or the Redwoods, or Castle Crags or the giant rocks of Muir Beach I just couldn't believe that God was in a bad mood. Whoever created something this beautiful must be good...and frankly, as a longtime Evangelical, I didn't need convinced of God's existence, but I often need to be reminded of His goodness.

I don't think I've ever doubted that God existed, I've just always inherently believed that He does. But there have been countless times where my heart wasn't sure that God was good. However, the more I am exposed to the beauty of creation the more I am convinced of God's goodness. I am now, "without excuse" when it comes to believing in God's goodness.