Putting Scripture First

Do I truly believe we can we draw near to God through nature photography? Absolutely! But like every other spiritual experience, I believe it is important to put Scripture first.

What do I mean by putting Scripture first? Well, we must have a standard that we measure all things by. If we don’t have a standard to test all things against, how can we know what is true and what is reliable?

Without a standard to follow, all ideas and experiences we have can appear to equally dictate truth. That would lead us down a road to internal contradiction and possible inner chaos. Living with internal contradictions can make our lives a poor witness to others or worse, give us a reason to walk away from our faith.

When we put Scripture first, we see it as the standard for truth and a test for all things before it. When we believe that God is speaking to our hearts, we can test what we are hearing in our own hearts by comparing it to God’s Word. If it goes against what we read in the Bible, then we know it is not from God.

God’s Word is the Standard

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

So, Scripture is our go to, but Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made…” The Bible tells us to put Scripture first, but it also says we can learn about God and draw near to Him through His creation.

Many Bible verses tell us how nature reveals God to us. Psalm 104:24 tells us nature reveals God’s wisdom, “O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all…” Nehemiah 9:6 explains nature reveals God’s greatness, “You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You (BSB). ”

And we know that Moses, David, Elijah and many others in the Bible encountered God in nature. 

Hearing from God and Drawing Near

So, when we look at the Scripture, we see that it teaches us how nature speaks to us about God and about how God also speaks to us through His creation. Therefore, when we keep Scripture first, we can be confident in knowing that we can hear from God and draw near to Him in His creation.

Next time you look through your camera lens and consider what fills the frame, know that it can reveal something of God to you, and that God can speak to you through it. Open your heart to Him and draw near to Him.

As you think about what you see, keep Scripture first and think about nature in light of Scripture. You may enhance your understanding of God and His word, making it a bit more personable to you.

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