Evidence…

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…” Romans 1:20

On a long weekend at the beach, my husband and I had a chance to meet some long-lost friends for dinner. Each table at the restaurant overlooked the seashore and the western horizon beyond. What a thrill it always is to see the sunset over the ocean. This night we were treated to a visit from a pod of whales. We could see the water erupting from their blow holes far in the distance. One of our dinner guests said, “I can’t see any whales!” The waitress pointed in the direction to the bushy stream of exhaled air appearing every few seconds. “But I don’t see the whales,” our guest replied.

The waitress looked at her as if she lacked a certain common sense of reason. “Well, no, I guess you cannot see the whales themselves, but no other animal makes that burst of spray and it isn’t waves pounding a rock. I look at this patch of shoreline every day, and I can assure you those are whales passing through. The spray is evidence of their presence.”

This led me to thinking about some of my agnostic friends. They must see to believe even through creation, miraculous life transformations, as well as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is evidence that God not only exists but loves us. Those of us who have witnessed God’s work and study His Word are like the waitress who knew every nuance of the shoreline. We know when God’s hand is on us, and we recognize His presence and the moves and whispers of His Spirit. We have been given the gift of faith to believe, but there is also SO MUCH EVIDENCE!

Spending moments at the beach, I see evidence of His faithfulness as the waves meet the shoreline with power but stay contained in their boundaries. I arrive here at the limits of land and recognize that He is limitless. Though I am small and powerless—finite—He is infinite in majesty, creativity, and grace. He is the God of wonders. Standing with feet wet in cold, crashing waves I realize Who has the power and who does not. I realize as I take full breaths of salty air that He is the one who fills my life with breath. Only He. Countless grains of sand between my toes cause me to remember that His thoughts of me are more than the sands of the sea (Psalm 139:17-18). He has brought to me, a speck in this huge universe, salvation. In these moments at the sea, I come face to face with my strivings, fears and needs, where God shines His light of greatness on them. It is humbling, and it is peaceful to be in repentant rest.

There are a million other fingerprints of God around us. We who are born again are the ones who can recognize them. I feel a challenge to point them out more often to those who cross my path daily. Like the waitress, I want to delight in showing others Someone special by the evidence He leaves everywhere. I want to speak of the real evidence in my own life, my testimony. I want it to bring hope and faith.

Father, thank You for leaving the marks that reveal the evidence of Your love and presence. Jesus, thank You for showing us the Father. Holy Spirit, would You give us courage and words to testify of Your presence, Your work, and Your expressions of love. Give us creative ways to declare that You are the God of Wonders. Amen.