God’s Design

by John C Westervelt

During my nightly shower, I often talk to God, saying - "Thank You for Your design of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom combining to make water. Thank You for Your design of four hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom combining to make methane or natural gas. Thank You God for the feeling of hot water pelting stiff muscles across my back."

Sometimes I thank God for His design of the DNA molecule that makes it possible for me to be me and for you to be you. While I’ll never understand the DNA molecule, as a youth I thought I had the water molecule figured out.

In the early forties, I learned in science class that the hydrogen atom had one electron orbiting one proton and that oxygen had eight electrons orbiting eight protons. Two of oxygen’s electrons filled the first orbit. With six electrons in the second orbit, there was space remaining for two more electrons; so oxygen welcomed the electrons of two hydrogen atoms to fill the ring. The result was chemical stability and water. It still seems amazing to me that two gases can combine to make water.

My junior high school concept was a little ball (electron) orbiting a large ball (proton) much like the earth orbits the sun. By the time I reached college, the electron was no longer a little ball, but a parcel of energy. I should not have been surprised for the author of Hebrews writes in the eleventh chapter, "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible."

Another of my shower prayers is thanking God for His design of the sun. Here the simple hydrogen atom is the source of the energy to fuel life on earth. Of course, oil and coal are sources of energy, but they were made by plants and animals that stored energy from the sun.

Theory states that the high temperatures and pressures on the sun provide conditions for nuclear fusion, where hydrogen is converted to Helium. Leftover mass is converted to energy that radiates to the earth.

Mathematics is one of God’s languages. With Wisdom by His side as a master craftsman (Proverbs 8:30-31), I believe that God used mathematics as one of His tools to create the universe. It was not until the twentieth century and the arrival of Einstein that man understood enough mathematics to grasp God’s formula "Energy = Mass X (Velocity of light)²." Since the velocity of light is a big number, this formula shows that an abundance of energy results from the conversion of a small amount of mass.

Sitting on my south porch on a cool, clear, calm day, I can feel the sun warming my legs through my navy, corduroy trousers. I consider that the sun is likewise bathing plants in energy to provide sustenance for all of life. Then I say to Wisdom, "You serve an awesome God."