As a Christian I’ve always been intrigued by the word “nature.” What exactly is nature?
According to one dictionary: “Nature is the inherent character or constitution of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole, including the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world.”
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Translation for us common folks: Nature is order. It is design. Everything that exists does so in a way that allows everything else to exist. The universe functions in a consistent, predictable way. So consistent and predictable, in fact, that it would be bizarre to think it is the result of random circumstance. Nature demands a designer. An architect.
Several years ago we brought a new puppy home and walked it through our backyard for the first time. Before long a squirrel darted down one of our trees and sprinted across the lot. The puppy immediately began to bark and chase the little critter. Why? That little dog had never seen a squirrel before. Why was he instantly compelled to chase it?
“Instinct” you say? The dog instinctively knew to regard the squirrel as prey. Alright then, what is instinct? It’s programming. That pup was programmed to pursue and protect against what it regarded as vermin.
So who is the programmer?
One toddler is aggressive and takes toys away from siblings. Another is shy and quick to share. Why? We say it’s just how they are wired. Wired by whom? Somebody had to do the wiring, right?
The earth orbits around the sun at exactly the right speed and distance to sustain life, and has been doing so since the beginning of its existence. The slightest variation would result in temperatures too cold or too hot for living things. Who, or what, keeps this delicate balance in place?
How can you observe all this and deny the reality of a master creator?
It’s why research shows that nine out of ten people believe in God, and the majority of those believe it is the God described in the Bible. We have faith that God is not only real, but that His Son came to us in human form and redeemed our sin. We observe the awesome order of this world and have no difficulty completely trusting in an almighty Lord and Savior.
It’s just in our nature.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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