Road Trip
- Richard Selke
- Jun 24
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 22
June 25, 2025
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Susan and I just returned from a 1,200-mile road trip through three breathtaking national parks – Bryce Canyon, Zion and the Grand Canyon.
According to science, it took 50 million years for the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon to form; about 15 million years for Zion to take shape; and 5-6 million years for the Colorado River to carve the Grand Canyon through rock that is 1.8 billion years old.
Some believe that the universe and everything in it just happened, that nature and life are the result of random chance and cosmic luck. But Christians believe otherwise. We believe that God created the universe and everything in it, including this world and me and you. The Bible begins with this declaration: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1, NIV. And it later affirms: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27, NIV.
God’s creation is astonishing – full of beauty, complexity and wonder. Creation testifies to the existence of God – the One Who dreamed, designed and implemented it all. All creation proclaims that there is a God and He is glorious!
The first time I saw the Grand Canyon, I teared up. There is something sacred about it. The world is majestic and merciless, dazzling and dangerous. Yet in all of its paradoxes, it bears witness to the One Who made it.
Throughout creation we can see glimpses of God’s character – His attention to detail, His limitless imagination, His power, His diversity, His love of beauty. But as awe-inspiring as nature is, it only points us toward God. To truly and intimately know Him – not just as Creator but as Father – we must come to know Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the One Who makes God knowable. Through Christ, we learn that the Creator of galaxies also cares deeply for each one of us. The One Who placed the stars in the heavens, formed canyons with rivers and proclaimed the seasons also formed our hearts.
The Christian faith offers eternal life for those who believe in Jesus Christ – not just a continuation of existence, but the promise of a life filled with God’s presence now and forever. That kind of eternity boggles the mind. I can barely grasp it.
Science estimates that the universe is over 13 billion years old, and that Earth is about 4.5 billion. Humans have walked this planet for tens of thousands of years. But eternity is hard to fully comprehend.
Some say we are human beings with souls. But C. S. Lewis flips that idea, “Nature is mortal; we shall outlive her. When all the suns and nebulae have passed away, each one of you will still be alive.” We are eternal souls with temporary bodies. That changes everything!
Science tells us a lot about how the universe and this world were created. But why? Why did God make all of this? Why did God create a universe so vast? Why did He create the world? Why such beauty, diversity, colors, sounds, smells, life? Why you? Why me? Why do each of us, and all those who have gone before us and all those who will come after us, pass through this world on our way to eternity?
The 19th-century naturalist John Muir wrote, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” Muir reminds us that while we’re on this planet, nature is essential for us to fully grow as spiritual beings. In nature, our souls find room to breathe. In Jesus, our souls find rest and redemption.
One of my favorite Pat Green songs, written by Walt Wilkins, asks an honest question followed by a believer’s expectation:
“If I ever get to heaven and I got one question
Hope the Good Lord ain't offended
Gave me a world of pain between the cradle and the grave
Is that what was intended?
I don't have to know why he put the stars in the sky
Or fooled with the change of seasons
I guess we've all got our reasons.”
Still, I ask: Why this world? Why us? Why, Lord?
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, experience God through His creation;
know Him personally through His Son, Jesus Christ!
QUESTION
When you stand in awe of nature, what does it tell you about the God who made it?
PRAYER
Creator God, Thank You for the wonder of this world – the canyons, the rivers, the stars, the vastness of the skies. All creation speaks of Your majesty, Your imagination and Your power. As we stand in awe of what You have made, remind us that You made us too – with purpose and love and for eternity.
Lord Jesus, You are the way we come to truly know the One who made all things. Thank You for entering into this world, for walking among us and for offering us the gift of eternal life. Help us not only to see Your beauty in nature, but also to seek and know You with our hearts.
Father, we don’t always understand the why behind it all – the joy and the pain, the beauty and the brokenness. But we trust that You are good, and that Your plans are greater than we can comprehend. Teach us to live with wonder, humility and faith as we journey through this world together toward the one to come.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24, ESV
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
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