Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

Ex nihilo

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Romans 4:17
God ... gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist.

When our kids were in school being asked to study evolution, our family attended several seminars and weekend conferences hosted by the Institute for Creation Research to give all of us a little more educated alternative.

I've never regretted the decision we made. It makes reading Job 40:15-19 a lot easier, and I watch Jurassic Park wondering about my ancestors. When I read the first few chapters of Genesis I notice things I missed before, about water and meat and the age of men.

But what I think of most often is something an Australian scientist named Ken Ham pointed out: none of us ... not the creationists, not the evolutionists ... none of us was there when the world began:

Special creation and evolution are beliefs about the past. We do not have access to the past. We only have the present. All the fossils, all the living animals and plants, our planet, the universe - everything exists in the present. We cannot directly test the past using the scientific method (which involves repeating things and watching them happen) since all evidence that we have is in the present.

It is important to understand that special creation, by definition, is also a belief about the past. The difference is that creationists base their understanding of creation upon a book which claims to be the Word of the One who was there, who knows everything there is to know about everything, and who tells us what happened. Evolution comes from the words of men who were not there and who do not claim to be omniscient. This whole issue revolves around whether we believe the words of God who was there, or the words of fallible humans (no matter how qualified) who were not there.*

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:1-3). Beautiful, mysterious images hover on the edges of my mind, conjured up by these wonderful phrases written by ancient Hebrews.

But the really important words here are the first four: "In the beginning God." Nothing more. Out of nothing God makes everything. That's the backbone-truth I come back to over and over in my life, renewing my hope and faith and strength.

I will sing of your promises forever, Lord. Your faithfulness is proclaimed through all generations.

*Ken Ham, The Lie: Evolution, 1987, page 5.

Devotions Archive

Ex nihilo

Thursday, March 19, 2009