By Van Yandell
Isaiah 45:12 “I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.”
It is the first week of August. Sitting on the front porch enjoying my coffee and mostly quiet time required for waking up, I can’t help but notice the varying colors of the leaves in the woods across the road.
We have noticed in just the last few days, the colors of the leaves are changing. Many do not notice the change until the vibrant colors of October are reached and then the cameras come out. To witness the power of God in the changing of the seasons can be a spiritual experience few realize.
One can observe the power of God in that He set the planet, the solar system, the galaxy and the universe in motion. God made science; He determined the physics, the astronomy and all other sciences including the functions of our bodies, the number of legs required for insects and the number of electrons orbiting an oxygen atom.
Every molecule, every atom, and every proton and neutron were designed and engineered by Him and without Him nothing would exist. John 1: 3 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Over the next few months, I’ll continue to sit on that front porch most mornings. The leaves will continue to change colors until they are many shades of golden yellow, red and a myriad of other colors.
Finally, those leaves will begin to fall and the autumn blessings of tolerable temperatures will give way to frosty mornings and eventually a cold north wind will bring snow.
As the winter cold will bring killing frosts, the far north of the Northern Hemisphere will appear to be dead or dying. Tree limbs will become frozen and even a few trees that have died on the inside will be hollowed out by the decay.
The result will be that the core will fill with water and the tree will literally explode from the prolonged freezing temperatures. Nature has a way of cleaning up the mess but it may take years for the remains of the downed trees to fully decay and become the compost of the forest floor.
Those dead trees will eventually be the home of ferns, flowers and many other kinds of plant life. I stand amazed at the perfection of our God’s skills in setting the things of this world in motion and how He has a perfect schedule.
About March of next year, those trees that appeared to be dead will spring to life. Buds will appear and soon thereafter, leaves will provide shade for the forest floor and the many animals that call the forests their home.
The grass will turn green and another sign of God’s amazing work will manifest itself. He is the great architect and designer. Crops will be planted by farmers and the land will become green once again.
Christ Jesus literally died on the cross of Calvary. His body was prepared for burial and those in the preparation room would certainly have known if He had been alive. His body was mostly drained of blood and His earthly body could not have possibly lived in its condition.
Yet, in three days He arose (Matthew 28: 6) and 40 days later ascended into Heaven (Acts 1: 9). He was seen alive by hundreds and many of those documented that fact. Just as our earth resurrects itself every spring, Jesus was resurrected. God can bring to life the things that are, or seem to be dead.
Just as our Creator set the earth in motion to regulate the days and seasons, He also set our solar system in motion and balance. The perfect equilibrium keeps the planets and moons in orbit. The speed of the planets as they orbit the sun and the rotational speed determine gravity and the tilting of the earth to cause the seasons. You think God didn’t think of everything? Think again!
Yet many believe these things happened by chance and accident. Is this possible? You decide. There are literally thousands of beliefs in the world based on the writings and opinions of men. It really doesn’t matter what any man can have as an opinion; only God’s opinion matters.
We are taught to believe by faith (Ephesians 2: 8-9) and that is good. Faith is a belief system that is a gift of God. We were not alive 2,000 years ago to personally witness Him on earth. We did not see His miracles or Him crucified or Him resurrected and alive.
What we can see is His creation and the intricacy of it. His perfect earth, perfect solar system and perfect galaxy have been in motion since creation.
Romans 3: 23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The “Glory of God” in this verse refers to His righteousness. His Glory, however is manifested before us also in His creation. Many times we observe the mountains and the seas, a newborn baby, and many other visions of His creation as His glory.
What we fail to see, is His glory in motion or three-dimensional. The blood that flows in our veins is in motion and an example of His omnipotence. Leviticus 17: 11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Scientists are continually learning about characteristics of the blood. These can be tested to reveal health problems and even ancestral traits that can be used for our well-being.
The practical information in The Holy Bible reveals so much information to us, it is literally unfathomable. Yet, many choose to deny its reliability and authenticity based on a personal notion or something they have been taught by a false teacher (Matthew 24: 4, 11 and 24).
Proverbs 3: 5 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” This verse is not considered a commandment but it could qualify as one. It most certainly could be considered a warning against our own notions.
We cannot match wits (or wisdom) with God. He will win every time. I have come to believe, a major cause for the degradation of the morals (and other conditions) in this world is because we have ignored His teachings.
To try God is a lose-lose scenario destined to failure. If we examine the teachings of the Bible we find it sets the bar for human behavior and beliefs. To ignore these is a recipe for disaster!
God’s teachings are divinely designed to help and assist us. While humankind chooses to ignore these, chaos will continue to develop in our world.
Of the many things He teaches us, the absolute most important concerns eternal life. We earthlings cannot begin to fathom eternity because it is a concept we cannot relate to. Everything on earth has a beginning and an end. God’s kingdom does not!
The scripture teaches that eternal salvation is by a faith based belief that Christ Jesus shed His precious perfect blood for the remission of our sin and was resurrected from the dead. By believing this, salvation is a certainty.
For us to know the facts is important and the only way to know those facts of creation, salvation and the existence of a spiritual world is to read and study The Holy Bible.
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary, from Fredonia, Kentucky. A part of the Bible Connection series.
