“All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground” (Psalm 104:27–30 NIV).
In 2014 there was a debate between Christian Ken Ham and scientist Bill Nye over how our world was created. Ken Ham argued for the biblical perspective, advocating a six-day creation and a timeline of a few thousand years instead of billions of years. Bill Nye took the opposite approach, arguing that evolution brought all things to life and that no exterior force, God or otherwise, facilitated the shaping of our world in any way. Many scientists and many Christians watched this debate eagerly to see who would reign as champion over the other. But even today, five years after the event, the issue still remains a point of contention. The debate rendered no clear verdict. Both Christians and scientists claimed victory for each side, and no one belief triumphed over the other.
No matter which side of the debate you fall on, the common question I hear is this: why should we as Christians care? Does it really matter if we believe the world was created in six days or over many eons? Does it change the fact that Jesus came for redeem us and pay the price for our sins so we can be with God for all eternity? Some would say it doesn’t matter. But the problem is not that simple.
Why Does it Matter?
We can glean many things from this debate, none of which are very encouraging, but in the end there is one solid conclusion: the authority of Scripture is being lost. The Bible says very clearly in Genesis chapter 1 that God created the whole world and everything in it in six days, and then rested on the seventh. It also tells us that God created the world out of nothing at all. Nothing. By His speaking the world came into existence, and it was created according to His design. But more than that, all things were created out of God’s divine goodness and love for His Creation. If we deny even a portion of truth in this account, we call into question the validity of all other Scriptural accounts. And if we do this, then we might even begin to deny the greatest truth: that we are dependent upon God, our Creator, for everything.
As we lose the authority of Scripture in our world, we are subtly influenced by those who profess that there is no God. We are pressured into non-biblical beliefs by so many who try to attack the very existence of God by taking His creation out of His hands and placing it into the hands of chance. But God is our Creator, and from Him come all our blessings and everything we need for life. This includes physical blessings, as the above Psalm reminds us; but it also includes the blessing of truth, specifically the truth of the Word which shows us the true God who both created us and also redeemed His creation from the destruction of sin. We trust in this truth because we trust that God’s Word is true. May this trust never be broken.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You guide the whole world by Your mighty hand, and You care for that which You have created. Forgive me for the times when I have not given thanks to You for Your rich blessings, and help me to always offer prayers and thanks to You in everything. In Your gracious name I pray. Amen.
Photo courtesy of Elisa Schulz Photography
