Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
This passage of scripture reminds us that we did not come into existence by chance, nor were we developed from a long line of inferior creatures over millions of years. It reminds us that the systems that we have come to depend upon for our very existence, and that we often take for granted, are the products of an all intelligent God who deliberately planned and executed by his omnipotent power, all that we see and hear in the natural world. Not only did He create us and the world we live in, but He continually exercises His power so that the systems He has put in place remain in place, and are maintained. This fact is explicitly stated in the Bible, and it will do us well to often ponder what is implied. Let's read: Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
It is of critical importance for us to understand that the systems of day and night, of seasons and years, and the yearly production of fruit and grain do not operate by chance, nor do they continue to exist merely by natural law, independent of God. In other words, God did not set these systems to run on "automatic", independent of Himself. Without God's power being directly exercised continuously, the earth would not produce fruit, and the seasons would cease to occur in their respective order. This fact needs to be very seriously contemplated, even by Christians, for modern science attributes the orderly recurrence and operation of these vital systems to strictly natural law, namely"mother nature". According to the Bible, there is no such thing as "mother nature". All of the operations in the natural world are under the direct supervision of the Almighty, and can be reversed, accelerated, altered or completely stopped by a command of His. This is what Job was alluding to when expounding on the operations of nature. Let's read: Job 37:5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. 6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. 7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work. 8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. 9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north. 10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. 11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: 12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. 13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
The prophet Daniel also reiterates the same truth, but he takes it a step further by making a profound statement about the selection of presidents, kings and rulers: Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
From these and other scriptures we can safely deduce the fact that God is still in control, and that He is absolutely essential to our survival. Minute by minute, hour by hour, Night and day, and year after year he watches over us; guiding, providing, instructing, helping, saving, renewing, blessing, appealing, warning, and encouraging us to experience individually and collectively, His kindness and salvation, manifested towards us through Jesus Christ. Let's consider today, as we go about our daily round of duties, that there is a God in heaven who is indispensable to our lives, and let us give Him the praise and thanks He deserves. God bless!