BY DESIGN

Me overshadowed by my
favorite artist of all time,
Vincent Van Gogh

              Are you a designer? Of course you are!

                          A limitless one, in fact. 

Fashion. Architecture. Industrial. Automotive. Graphic. Software. Avionics. The arts. The list goes on and on. Name it, with the brain we've all been given, we can conceptualize no end, put our thoughts into action. 

Where would we all be without our ability to imagine and think, and make these imaginings work? What would become of us without our Grand Designer's wherewithal to create and pass on this ability to us?

"Wisdom!" That's the long and short of it. All of God's power to design and make things work stem from His wisdom spoken to bring universe into existence. 

Wisdom speaks through the writer of Proverbs:

“The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His work (Prov.8:22).”  "When He established the heavens, I was there; when He drew a circle on the deep, when He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters  might not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him, like a master workman… V27-30a

So where’s the big bang theory coming from? This wondrous, complex universe could not have existed by just a confluence of elements or particles simply kissing each other and melding into gigantic spheres of immense beauty.

Our beautiful earth? Don’t tell me it’s merely an accidental assemblage of atomic particles. It’s not happenstance or evolution. That’s intelligent design! 

Design is so evident even in the tiniest flower or an insect or a cat. 

Image credit: Mina Bhasavanich

Cactusway.com says that cacti go to extreme lengths to conserve water, so they open their stomata (pores) at night to make sure they’re able to store sufficient water in their bodies. No wonder we find them thriving in arid places. And oh, yes, they spring forth the most gorgeous buds. Design!

How do ants survive? Proverbs 6:6-8 “Go to the ant, o sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” Design!

Lion facts: (wwf.uk.org) Lions’eyes are sharper in the dark so they do their hunting at night, giving them a huge advantage over their prey. They hunt more during stormy nights so the wind and noise can camouflage their movements. Females rear their cubs in prides—much like a family of human mothers caring for their kids together. Design, a definite yes. 

Ever wonder how God spoke these into being…? The Alps and other majestic mountains, grand canyons, mighty oceans, mesmerizing aurora borealis, icebergs, glorious beaches, snow flakes descending on your nose like flakes from heaven. These and a million others, big or small, have thrilled us no end, haven’t they? 

And what about you and me? Fearfully and wonderfully crafted, says David in Psalms 139:14; that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, per Ephesians 2:10.

Miniaturize yourself, hold on to your nano-sized camera and plumb the depths of the human body. It’s the world’s single greatest wonder. What if you can really explore your inner parts? What a joyous discovery cruise! 

I don’t need to be a doctor or a biologist to realize what a cool and wondrous being I am. Thanks to my grade school science teacher, and yes, Google. Knowledge explosion, dear. 

The smartest dog or elephant doesn’t even come close to what we humans can accomplish. 

Here’s why you and I are even more unique… we’ve been made in our Creator’s image! The God who spoke creation into being breathed life into us. That’s why man has the capacity to know, understand, create, invent, produce, write, teach, etc., etc. 

And boy, what treasure we’ve been handed! Our universe, this earth, our very lives. We’re just a speck or dust in God’s total scheme of things. But because He breathed life into us, he too gave us free will to make choices. 

We’ve just been through Holy Week, a reminder that because of our first parents’ decision to believe a lie, we’ve been separated from God. But God’s design is this—that we be restored back to Him. Yet only through Jesus, the Word, through whom creation came into being. 

But it’s a choice you and I need to make. Resurrection Sunday is also by design. Jesus came down from heaven, became human, died on the cross; and by so doing, made a way for us to be reconnected with our Father. Don’t you just love this design of redemption! 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that those who believe in Him might have everlasting life.

He asks only this—place your faith in Jesus. Afterall, He’s your Creator. Whom would you rather trust to ensure your future?  

Prayer: God, thank you for creating me. I realize that my sins have separated me from you. Forgive me. Jesus, save me, enable me to turn away from sin and obey you. You know me from the inside out. You created me. Therefore, lead me. Teach me your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.