In the book of Hebrews, we read the following, "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God" (Hebrews 3:4, KJV). We well remember many years ago while walking in the woods deer hunting and following a trail through the forest, that we came upon something that piqued our interest. In a small glen we found an old apple orchard, and the remains of a couple of buildings, one of which had obviously been a cabin in which people lived. Here we thought we were walking through virgin forest, where no man had ever trod. However, the evidence was unmistakable! Someone had planted the apple orchard and built the cabins sometime in the past. Both showed evidence of purpose and design! We believe our world (the earth) displays the same kind of evidence to an unbiased mind.

Consider our earth: the distance from the sun, the angle in which it turns on its orbit, as well as other factors, shows evidence of intelligent design! For example, the earth is about 93 million miles from the sun. If it were much further away or much nearer to the sun, life would be difficult to imagine. We see though, that in its elliptical orbit, it heats and cools sufficiently to permit life on nearly all its surfaces. If the earth were only half the distance from the sun, it would be a baked surface all over! Life as we know it would be impossible. If it was twice as far as it is, it would be totally iced over in all the liquid (about 2/3 of the total) surfaces. Again, life as we know it would be impossible!

One of the really marvelous facts about the earth and its relationship to the sun is the 23 degree tilt from perpendicular. If man had designed it, the attempt would always be to make it perpendicular or "plumb" in its relationship to the sun. However, this tilt causes many beneficial effects for the earth. For example, the four seasons that we experience each year are caused by this tilt. Different parts of the earth are warmed and cooled as a result of this tilt. This causes most of the earth to be habitable rather than a narrow band between the equator and the poles if it was perpendicular to the sun. Also plants and animals have the changes that are needed for rejuvenation. In addition to this, as you know the earth spins rapidly on its axis. And its orbit around the sun is not perfectly circular, but elliptical. Interestingly, the earth is nearest the sun during the winter months, when one would think it would be the hottest days of summer. However, the 23-degree tilt of the earth causes the rays of the sun to be deflected by our atmosphere. Thus, we have the coldest days during those winter days rather than the opposite. Our periods of day and night are also caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis, and the tilt causes the different lengths of time of light and darkness to vary.

All of these things are so perfectly timed and balanced that if a minute were lost, it would throw the entire universe into complete chaos. The very best clocks and watches made by man are not perfect, but can be corrected by the movements of our earth, as well as the solar system. How can one say a clock didn't just "happen" but that someone "made" it, and not say the same about our beautiful, perfectly timed universe? When we examine this marvelous earth God created for us, it is easy to say that it was built and prepared for us to live in, and we look someday for that ". . . . city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). Moses wrote "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) and we believe it!

Ed Rodgers, De Leon, TX, edanddj@yahoo.com