Introduction
Acts 14:15-17 "God hath not left Himself without witness."
Though God has not revealed Himself to our senses; for we cannot see Him, or hear Him, or touch Him, He has not left us to grope blindly in confusion and doubt, without any evidence of His existence.
The writer of the well known book Steps to Christ, puts it this way: "God never asks us to believe without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His Word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason, and this testimony is abundant." (p. 105)
What are some of these evidences of God's existence, and where do we find them?
In this lesson we will study three of the plainest evidences for God, which we will call "Footprints of God in Creation". These evidences are readily available to every man who is willing to use his eyes, ears and rational powers.
Footprints of God in the Earth
Job 12:7-10 "Ask now the beasts, the fowls, the earth, and the fishes and they shall teach thee."
Matt. 6:28, 29 "Consider the lilies of the field."
Rom. 1:19, 20 "The invisible things of God maybe understood by the visible things which He has made."
All around us, in earth and sea and sky, there are countless evidences of order, beauty, accuracy, adaptation and intelligent planning. Consider these marvels of creative design: The beauty and perfume of the flowers. Snowflake crystals. A butterfly's wing. A spider's web. A bird's feather. A cob of corn. The marvelous instincts and mechanisms of the honey-bee. The annual miracle of bird migration. The bat's ingenious "radar" system.
Now let us ask: Could these wonders of creation have made themselves?
Footprints of God in the Heavens
Ps. 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God."
Gen. 15:5 "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars."
Neh. 9:6 "Thou hast made the heavens, and Thou preserves! them all."
Isa. 40:26 "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things."
In the heavens above us there are the same evidences of pattern, order, beauty, accuracy and apparent purpose which we see in our own world, only magnified to a breath taking degree. Consider these wonders of the starry heavens: The enormous sizes, weights, speeds, numbers, distances and temperatures of the billions of planets and stars. The precise calculation and co-ordination of their weights, motions, speeds, temperatures and orbits. The fine balancing of attractions and repulsions. The split-second timing. The perfect synchronization. The clock-like regularity. All maintained in a state of harmony by constantly operating laws and controls.
Now let us ask again: Could these marvels of creation have made themselves?
Footprints of God in Our Bodies
Exod. 4:11 "Who hath made man's mouth? Have not I the Lord?"
Ps. 94:9 "He that planted the ear, shall He not hear?"
Ps. 94:9 "He that formed the eye, shall He not see?
Ps. 139:14 "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
In the human body there are the same amazing evidences of ingenious design, coordination, adaption and creative forethought which we see in the earth and in the heavens. Consider these wonders of the bodytemple: The living cell, the heart, the brain, the eye, the ear, and the hand. Not to mention the senses of touch, taste and smell, the nervous system, the gland and the digestive system. The prolonged and intricate miracle of reproduction and growth. The body's marvelous defense and healing mechanisms.
What shall we do with these countless evidences of intelligent planning and forethought in the earth, in the heavens and in our bodies? We cannot ignore them. They demand a rational explanation. They have come into existence either by design, or by accident. They are the product of God or of chance. There is no neutral ground.
So, let us ask, for the third time: Could these marvels of creation have made themselves?
Illustration: Did you ever hear the story of the watch that made itself? It goes like this: Late one night Joe Brown woke up with an uneasy feeling that something unusual was going an in his bedroom. He lay very still, listening and wondering. Presently he heard faint scratching and clicking noises from the direction of the dressing table. Reaching for his flashlight, he shone the beam towards the mysterious noises . . . Joe's eyes bulged. What seemed like a miracle was happening on top of the dressing table! Scattered about its surface were the parts of a watch. But the curious thing was that they were not lying still. Like actors in a play, they were all dancing about as if they were alive! The case of the watch was lying face downwards, and the other parts were scrambling into the case and snuggling down into their correct positions, as if directed by some invisible intelligence!
While Joe watched, open-mouthed, the mainspring, hairspring, and balance wheel jumped in, and adjusted themselves with perfect precision. Then sundry minor cogs, wheels and plates appeared, all in correct order, took their places, and lay still. Next a swarm of screws danced up, hopped in, and screwed themselves deftly and snugly into place. The back cover clicked itself on with a sharp snap. Then, with incredible ease, the whole watch flipped itself over on its back. Face, hands and glass fitted themselves expertly into position. Finally, the winding staff appeared, slid smoothly into place, gave itself a few brisk winds, and the watch began a rhythmic Tick-tick! Tick-tick! Ticktick!...
Do you believe this story? It doesn't make sense, does it? Yet such a fantastic impossibility as a watch that made itself would be a small miracle, indeed, compared with an eye, or an ear, or a heart, or a brain, or a universe that made itself!
Conclusion
In the book of Hebrews, Paul sums up the evidence for God in these decisive words:
Heb. 3:4 "For every house is built by some man, but He that built all things is God."
Honestly, now: Can you find any fault with this conclusion?
It is the only rational explanation for the marvels of creation which we have studied in this lesson.
Frank Breaden writes from Melody Park, Australia
