It’s hard to understand how anyone can believe the universe happened by accident. I don’t understand how a reasonable person looks at the intricate balance of the universe or reads about the unique design of a DNA molecule and concludes it’s all a bizarre mishap!
King David had a hard time understanding that conclusion, too, saying,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
Tom Ellsworth, former minister of the Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington, Indiana, enjoys gathering unique facts about nature that reveal the magnificence of God. He points out that while the massive universe declares the glory and omnipotence of a Creator, the intricate details of the tiniest creature reveal the wisdom and omniscience of God.
Last week I heard Tom say, “I’ve always been fascinated by the insect kingdom. One of my favorite bugs is the bombardier beetle. Picture a hungry toad about to flick his sticky tongue at an unsuspecting beetle, but before he can, he gets bombed with a face full of hot, nasty chemicals. Thus, the beetle’s name – bombardier. Its abdomen is equipped with a combustion chamber.”
“When threatened, the inlet valve opens, and two explosive chemicals along with two necessary catalysts combine to create an explosive reaction. The pressure builds inside the reaction chamber until the chemical concoction reaches an astounding 221 degrees! The outlet valve then opens, and the swivel turret allows the beetle to fire its spray in any direction with amazing accuracy. And it’s not one continuous spray, but several hundred per second to keep the chamber from overheating.”
After years of research, scientists still don’t know how the beetle manufactures or stores these explosive chemicals. Yet God does.
How can anyone possibly believe the bombardier beetle results from millions of years of random evolution? King David went so far as to label such a person a “fool.”
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good” (Psalm 14:1).
David suggested the reason people don’t believe is not that there isn’t enough evidence to convince them, but
“…their deeds are vile.”
The source of most Biblical doubt is not intellectual – it’s rebellion. There is plenty of evidence to believe, but guilty hearts salve their conscience by rationalizing, “There is no God anyway, so my sin doesn’t really matter.”
Jesus said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
Do you know who loses patience with those who don’t believe in a Creator? God Himself does.
Romans 1:18-20 communicates the Lord’s response to those who deny His existence. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. 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 people are without excuse.”
The most significant barrier to belief is a proud, stubborn heart. The Apostle Paul insisted, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified…,” (Romans 10:10).
That’s why Jesus began His ministry by preaching, “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15).
If you have trouble believing in God, you don’t need more evidence. You probably need repentance from sin.
I wouldn’t agree with everything Ralph Waldo Emerson said, but I totally agree with this quote, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
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