Always a Step Ahead
By David Faust
Thomas Sowell said, “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” Instead of boasting about how enlightened we are, we should recognize our human limitations and humbly tap into the infinite wisdom of God.
THE LORD TAKES THE INITIATIVE
The inspired writer sums up the first day of creation by saying, “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day” (Genesis 1:5). That same phrase is repeated for each of the six days of creation. It sounds backwards to us, because we assume morning comes first. Why does evening come before morning in the Genesis narrative? Maybe, in part, to remind us that God is always a step ahead.
We go to bed at night thinking our day’s work is done, but that’s when the Lord is just getting started. He stays busy through the night while we rest. We get up in the morning thinking, “Let’s make something happen,” but God already has been at work for half a day! Our job is to join in the work he already has begun.
OUR INVENTIONS REFLECT GOD’S CREATIONS
“There is nothing new under the sun,” wise Solomon observed long ago (Ecclesiastes 1:9). What we call inventions are imitations of God’s handiwork.
We build swimming pools; God made oceans. We make light bulbs; God made the moon and stars. We make ice cubes; God makes glaciers. We use air fresheners; he perfumes the atmosphere with roses and pine needles. We invent dimmer switches to turn down the lights; God makes the sun set slowly on summer evenings, painting the sky with shades of pink and gold.
We plug in fans and air conditioners; God made the desert wind and the ocean breeze. We make furnaces and fireplaces; the Creator uses the sun to warm the earth from above and magma to heat it from beneath. We create photos and videos; God created eyes to behold and minds to remember what we see.
We cover floors with tiles and rugs; God carpets valleys with prairie grass and wildflowers. We gulp down bottled drinks; he provides aquifers beneath the crust of the earth and pours water from the clouds. We listen to music; God designed sound waves and eardrums, and he gave us fingers to strum and toes to tap. We carve statues; God crafts sculptures in sandstone canyons.
We build zoos. “God made the wild animals . . . the livestock . . . and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:25). For centuries, scientists and adventurers tried to discover how to fly, but flight was a simple invention for the Creator of cardinals and blue jays, eagles and hawks, mosquitoes and bumblebees, butterflies and bats, herons and hummingbirds, swans and doves.
God wasn’t surprised when we discovered electricity, split atoms, built X-ray machines, and labeled chromosomes. Our scientific discoveries don’t startle him. He has been waiting patiently for us to uncover them! We send messages swiftly around the world by email or phone, but since the dawn of time, prayers have traveled instantaneously to the throne room of Heaven.
It’s good to pursue wisdom—to develop our minds and expand our knowledge. But instead of stirring intellectual pride, the best education leads us to insist, “to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Romans 16:27).
Personal Challenge: The queen of Sheba came to Solomon “to test him with hard questions” (2 Chronicles 9:1), and his explanations satisfied her curious mind. What are the top three or four questions you would like to resolve about God and the Bible? Write them down and develop a plan to address them. Here are some options to consider:
• Read books or articles on apologetics that deal with your questions.
• Talk about your questions with a trusted counselor or Bible teacher.
• Watch videos featuring Christian apologists who tackle the issues that have been bothering you.
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