For the Beauty of the Earth

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place. --Proverbs 3:19 (NIV)

As an environmental scientist, I have a unique appreciation for the handiwork of the Creator. Earth science in general has always fascinated me, but when I was a college student this interest grew with each course in which I enrolled. Aside from what I had already learned about God from reading the Bible, two classes in particular truly re-emphasized God's awesome power and the wisdom with which he laid the earth's foundations and set the heavens in their place.

My lower division environmental science classes taught me about the delicate balance that exists in nature. As a Christian I know this did not come about by accident. Each glacier, each soil deposit, and each plant, have been deliberately placed in specific climates. The boundaries between freshwater and salt water were drawn by God, as were the paths for the rivers and their tributaries. All too often we fail to see the intricate design of this earth and marvel at the One who created it.

I read the following in one of my geology textbooks: "Some relationships [of the earth's systems] are so complex that scientists are only just beginning to understand them." Even with my scientific background, there are plenty of things that I don't understand about how the earth works.That's because my wisdom is nowhere close to God's. No one will ever completely understand the biological, physical and chemical nature of God's creation and the complexities with which those systems work together. Richard Dawkins, a renowned zoologist writes in his book The Blind Watchmaker, of the "sheer hugeness of biological complexity and the beauty and elegance of biological design..."

Whenever I stop and look at the world around me, or focus intently on my work, I am astonished at the earth's beauty. I am humbled to think that such a powerful God would share his most impressive works with me. His wisdom and understanding dwarfs my own, and for that I praise Him!