God Created the Earth

In order to appreciate the wisdom of a few of the laws of nature, let us try to imagine what it would be like on this earth without them.

Suppose the earth did not rotate on its axis, as it now does once every twenty-four hours. Then, instead of the sun rising and setting every twenty-four hours, it would shine steadily for six months, as it now does at the north and south poles, and then there would be six months of darkness. The heat would be unbearable during the six months that the sun shone, and then would follow an equal period of intense cold. Only by constantly migrating so as to keep in the regions where the sun was low on the horizon could we find conditions resembling those we now enjoy. The sun would appear to move gradually across the sky from west to east; that is, in the opposite direction from its present apparent path. Even time could not be measured as we do today, for a “day” would equal our present year.

Dust may be regarded as a plague in the west, but were it not for dust particles in the air, there would be no sunsets, no clouds, no rain here on earth. Instead, blazing heat would pour out of the sky (whose colour would be black), and stars would be visible all day long as well as at night.

Why does not a lake freeze solid in cold weather, all the way to the bottom? This is accounted for by the unusual qualities of water. It gradually contracts as it gets colder, until it reaches about 39 degrees above zero, Fahrenheit (3.88 Celsius). As it contracts, it also becomes denser, or heavier, and sinks. However, below 39 degrees, water begins to expand again, so that when a body of water gets down to 39 degrees, the colder water comes to the top, and this is where the ice forms. Proof that water expands as it freezes can be seen when a vessel of water bursts from the pressure of the ice inside. If ice were heavier than water, it would sink instead of floating, and then all rivers and lakes and the deeper parts of the ocean would freeze solid.

Is it not wonderful to realize that God planned all these perfect laws to govern our earth, so that when He placed His creatures upon it, they would be able to live and enjoy pleasant conditions? As we ponder these things, we begin to realize how all-powerful and all wise He is, and we can put our confidence in Him and in His great plan to bring men back to Him, as given to us in the Bible.