God Has Spoken

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
With these words the Bible opens the history of our world. It does not try to prove that God exists. From the very beginning God already is, and He is already active. The writers of the Bible never doubt or question God's existence. Nor do they go into long arguments to show to others that God is real. Why is this?
God's Presence Is Well Known
"No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18). The fact that God is not directly seen does not have to lead to doubt. Though God is invisible, we know He is there because of the results of His powerful work. The world around us, called "nature," is one of those results (Genesis 1:1). With other results of God's work, nature speaks clearly of its Creator.
People through the ages, and all over the world, have come to the same conclusion: Creation points to an amazing Creator.

Seeing The Creator Through Creation
The apostle Paul speaks of those who try to hide the truth about God. He shows why God is angry with them:
"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, becauseGod has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power anddivine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse"(Romans 1:19-20).
Realities about God can be "clearly seen!" How? "Being understood from what has been made." Looking at creation helps us to know about God!
We know of the wind's presence by its effects as it moves dust and leaves. In a far greater way, we know things about God by the effect of His work around us. God has made it clear. That is why people have "no excuse" when they twist the truth about God.
Creation By Accident?
Some want to live as if there is no God to whom they must answer. To avoid the need for God they teach that all we see came into being by accident. Over the ages, small bits of matter gradually changed by accident and formed humans who have no spirit and no real purpose. From a long line of accidents, we are an accident on its way to its final accident!
Does such a picture make sense? How could so many accidents result in such order? What would happen if you caused a great explosion to scatter a pile of rocks and wood? Even if you repeated this many times over, would the millions of pieces ever have the chance of coming together in such a way as to form a normal house? Would the heavier rocks happen to come down first to make a perfect foundation? Would smaller pieces fall in by chance to make straight walls on all sides, with doors and windows all in place? Would other pieces finally fall in such order as to make a roof that keeps rain out?
Every house has a builder
No one would dare say that a house came about by accident. Its order and design show beyond a doubt that it had a builder. Notice the simple force of Hebrews 3:4,
"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder ofeverything."

Creation Tells The Glory Of God
What about the order of the stars and planets? Israel's great king, David, sang this song:
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim thework of His hands" (Psalm 19:1).
King David was right. If our sun (just one of billions of stars) is so powerful, how much more powerful is the One who made all suns! He is called "the Father of lights" (James 1:17)!
Yet the sun's strength is strictly controlled. If the sun changed its course even a little, all life on our planet would soon end. Everything is in perfect place for life to exist on this earth. Such careful design in every detail must have a Builder! But we have not yet mentioned the man and woman, with their children, who live in this amazing home.
The brain of even the smallest child has many more active parts than all the stars the eye sees at night! Our minds work with great thoughts. Our eyes see beauty in living colors. The human spirit has power to _choose_ and to _love_. Our hearts reach high in _worship_. King David, when he thought of his own body and soul, was moved to sing to God,
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfullymade; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Psalm 139:14).
The person who pretends there is no God and no soul is like a mouse eating bread in the dark. With its mouth full, the mouse announces, "I do not believe there is a baker. I do not believe there is such a thing as grain for making bread, for I have never seen these things." We stand on the evidence! The proof is all around us and _within_ us! The Bible describes those who refuse to see it:
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futileand their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimedto be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22).

Give Glory And Thanks To God
Notice that Paul, in Romans 1:21, show that it is only right that we should give to our Maker glory and thanks. The air we breathe is GOD'S air -- its gases mixed in just the right parts to give life and not death. When you eat, remember that the food and drink you enjoy are God's good provisions for you.
"God has not left himself without testimony; He has shownkindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in theirseasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills yourhearts with joy" (Acts 14:17).
That we exist and live at all is itself a wonderful gift. The truth is that we owe all that we are and have to our Maker! When we truly understand that, it is not hard to give to God the praise due to His name. It is not hard to give back in service to Him the life that He first gave to us. It is the right thing to do. And our lives are far better in every way when we respect, worship and serve our Creator. Such service takes time and effort. Yet isn't that time actually the time HE is giving to us? "Our" time on earth can and will end some day. Since it is really HIS gift of time, we can afford to take time for Him. Believing in God goes beyond simply knowing facts about God. It leads us to praise God and to seek Him. Even those who do not yet know how to come to God can begin to seek Him. A Roman soldier named Cornelius was one such person (Acts 10). Because he was truly seeking God, his prayers were heard.


Let's Sum It Up
God does not need to prove that He exists for it is already obvious. Just look around you! Look in the mirror at how you are put together! You know that this life and universe are far too orderly to be accidents. That means that behind all this there is a very wise, powerful Creator. His work also shows that He really cares about what He made. It's time we cared enough to thank Him for the life He gave us.