Reverend Frank I. Williams
Are you ready for the Word!

“The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens;
By His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds drop down the dew.”
Proverbs 3:19-20

Last week’s Word focused our attention on the wisdom of God as the Designer and Creator of all things – seen and unseen. This idea certainly poses a challenge to some people because if God did indeed design and create the universe, why does the evidence of His existence and work appear to be so subjective. Every assertion for God as Creator, even in my articles, comes from a perspective of faith – believing in Something that is transcendent and other worldly.

How can we validate our beliefs outside of the belief itself? Well, this is where the natural world around us comes to center stage. God in His creative wisdom left His fingerprints all over this planet. A forensic search for God will unveil His knowledge, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20a).

Think with me for a moment about an individual microscopic cell in your body. A skin cell is about 30 μm (micrometers) – you need a microscope to see it. The fascinating thing about cells is how they become the cells that they become. From the moment of conception the cells begin to form and go to work – some becoming cells that will eventually make up the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, etc., some becoming cells that form bone, some becoming hair cells, and others skin. Every part of our body is made up of these microscopic living things. Cells have life in them. Another interesting fact about cells comes from the study of the controversial issue of cloning. I make no remarks about the ethics of cloning, but the process of cloning provides a wealth of information on how cells function.

Did you know that a single mature cell, that means a cell that has already become a particular part of the body as stated above, still has the potential to recreate an entire body. The way a cell differentiates itself is by turning off all other possibilities except the one it will become. So a skin cell, for example, literally shuts off all other options and “says” I am a skin cell and nothing else. It is like turning off all the light switches except one. What happens in cloning is that scientists have discovered a way of “resetting” a cell – that is tricking it into thinking it just came into conception and that it has to begin the process of multiplying and differentiating itself once again. Therefore, that single skin, or heart cell, or an embryonic cell, holds the information on creating the body of an entire mammal within itself. How amazing is that, which is also why it is so controversial. Duplicating a being in this fashion is viewed by many as humans playing God.

This leads me to the reason why I shared this information with you in the first place. Such a complex, orderly, and intricate living thing as a cell carries all this information. How could this be? Where did such properties come from if not from God? Did it build itself? Is such order and precision mere happenstance? Does an automobile build itself? No, something of greater intelligence must do so. Can humanity be the author of its own existence? No, something of greater intelligence must be responsible. This greater Intelligence is the One who said, “If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine and all its fullness” (Psalm 50:12). This greater Intelligence is the One who broke up the depths, and declared the laws that cause the natural world to function with order and observable accuracy. It is the Almighty One who handcrafted the laws, DNA, and environments that fuel the systems of life.

This same God loves you and I unconditionally. He made this world for us to inhabit and to enjoy the beauty of His creativity and thoughtfulness. However, life is often sullied by the disappointing, violent, and disastrous experiences that occur everyday. But God is still here and God is still with you, if you would only trust in Him. Today I encourage you to look up, slow down for a brief moment and look around you. Look at nature for, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Psalm 19:1-4a). Think on these things.