Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

There are many people today who would call themselves atheists. This strange belief baffles me. All I need to do is look at the world around me to come to the conclusion that there must be a Master Designer behind all I see. All this beauty, creativity and variety could not have appeared on its own.

I have always loved nature. I grew up outside a major city filled with rows of houses and busy city streets. But my heart always longed for the quieter life of the country.

At a young age I attended a camp set in the rural setting of Pennsylvania, and by age 13 I was spending my whole summers there working as a member of the camp’s staff. I’ve never lost the thrill of beautiful landscapes, interesting wildlife, and pitch-black nights illuminated by brilliant stars where the constellations aren’t shrouded in smog or dimmed by the city lights.

After moving to Ohio, I was presented with even more sights, sounds and smells. The landscape was much flatter, and the sunrises and sunsets were glorious.

I thought I had seen it all and gathered plenty of evidence to prove the awesomeness of a great and creative God until recently. I now realize more than ever how shallow and insufficient was my view of the Creator.

A few weeks ago Dad and I spent a week in Costa Rica. From the moment I stepped off the plane, creation again screamed of the existence and power of our great and powerful God.

The varieties of trees, plants and fauna and the different species of wildlife were such that I had only seen them in books. In real life they were much more vibrant and interesting.

We saw lizards, sloths, crocodiles and even some frisky monkeys chattering in the treetops where they perched on the roof above our restaurant. They watched us as we sat high above the ocean, flabbergasted at the beautiful view before us.

And the sunsets! You have never seen the real thing until you’ve witnessed the expansive splash of peach, orange, red and pink fading from the sky into the massive Pacific.

Oh, unbelieving friends, how can you settle for the idea that there is no God? Please open your eyes and look around. Visit Costa Rica if you can, but all of creation shows it. The heavens loudly proclaim there is a Master Designer. The very earth screams of His faithfulness and power.

All of these are evidence revealing the existence of a mighty, sovereign God and pointing to His eternal power and divine nature.

Look up, behold the beauty of the world around you, and worship your Creator today.