Water! When was the last time you spent a half hour of your spare time contemplating water? Okay, so maybe that only happens to me. But even though we use gallons upon gallons of water each day, it is something we often take for granted. The truth is that we can learn a lot from something so simple. I invite you to think back to your last chemistry class as we consider the humble water molecule—H20.

Water is a very simple molecule. Think of it as a pair of Mickey Mouse ears: an oxygen atom in the middle is attached to a hydrogen atom at an angle on either side. So maybe that’s not so strange. But upon closer inspection, the water molecule is actually very unique. The angle between the pair of hydrogens is 109.5°, when other similar molecules all have a 120° angle. So what, you say. Can that little chemical bond actually affect me?

In short, yes. Because of this unique property, solid ice is less dense than water, so it floats. If the bond between the hydrogen atoms were slightly different, ice would sink, and the world’s lakes and oceans would begin to freeze from the bottom up. In any other substance, the solid is more dense that the liquid, so it sinks. But not water. That tiny chemical bond has a huge impact.

Back in September, I had the opportunity to attend a science conference that featured Nobel laureates as lecturers. One of the scientists shared information from a book by British astronomer Martin Rees called Just Six Numbers. In his book, Rees writes about six fundamental numbers—physical constants—in the universe that must be precisely the way they are for the universe to exist at all. One example is the ratio of the strength of gravity to the electromagnetic force. The force of gravity is relatively weak compared to the electromagnetic force. We are only able to see the effects of gravity on very large scales, like the gravitational attraction that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth. This is why a small magnet is able to overcome the force of gravity to lift a piece of iron off the ground. If gravity was weaker, or electromagnetism stronger, clumps of matter such as stars, planets, and galaxies could not exist. Another example is related to the strength of the strong nuclear force that binds protons in the nucleus of the atom. If this number was off only slightly, the atom itself would not hold together.

The speaker continued, mentioning that scientists simply do not understand how all of these fundamental things in physics could be exactly what they needed to be. Why is the strength of the electromagnetic force 1036 times greater than the strength of the gravitational force? Why does water have a neutral pH, float when it freezes, and absorb heat energy better than most other substances? Why does the strong force hold protons of like charge together in the nucleus of the atom? Why is the Earth located 93 million miles away from the Sun with an axial tilt of 23.5 degrees? Why? Because that’s how God created it.

Some of the most learned men in their fields have devoted their lives to the search for meaning in the universe. But ultimately, they will fail, because they refuse to include anything that doesn’t occur by “natural” means in their paradigm. God is left completely out of the picture. In Psalm 19:1, we read that “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Clearly, creation is evidence of the Creator; all people have a natural knowledge of God because it is apparent in the world around them. Scripture tells us that only a fool can deny this (Psalm 14:1). Why is the universe the way that it is? The answer is simple. God created it. It is obvious from the order and design that is apparent in creation, and he tells us so in Scripture.

As I learn about the world around me, I am constantly amazed by the intricate design in God’s creation. Science is only beginning to understand the complexity of the universe—a universe that God created out of nothing by his Word. This is a truth that we may only believe by faith. Hebrews 11:3 tells us, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

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