The Wonder of Water

We’ve been getting a lot of rain these days in these parts, and I know that a lot of people find it somewhat

depressing. However, it has me thinking about the wonder of it all. You know, we really should be mindful not to complain about something that is so absolutely essential to our very lives and to all life on our planet.

This time of the year we can look at the grass, trees and shrubs and we can appreciate how water serves to create such an amazing beautiful land that we are blessed to live in. But it is much more than that, isn’t it. Planet earth consists of three times as much water as it does land mass, but only about 1% of that water is readily available for human consumption. The human body, likewise, is about 60% water. Our brains are 70% water and we need to replace at least 2 litres of water every day in order to live and stay healthy. Working in our bodies, water dissolves essential minerals as well as oxygen. It further transports and distributes nutrients throughout our bodies. And of course water also cleanses our bodies ‘flushing’ out the waste.

And it isn’t as if we have other options. Water is absolutely distinct and totally unique. No other substance has these same ‘life giving’ properties. Science reveals that the water molecule is comprised of two hydrogen atoms attached to an oxygen atom and these things aren’t just ‘thrown together’ in some kind of haphazard way. The oxygen atom within the water molecule has a negative electrical charge while the two hydrogen atoms are positive. Further to that, they are attached in the shape of a V at a 104° angle. This is no accident but is obviously a key part of God’s whole design for life on this planet.

“… of all the temperatures in the universe from the –270°C (–454°F) of outer space to the tens of millions of degrees inside the hottest stars, water is liquid in a very narrow range. At normal atmospheric pressure, water is only liquid from 0–100°C (32–212°F). It should not then be surprising that Earth is the only place in the universe known to have liquid water. And this depends on having the right kind of star—neither too bright nor too dim, and thus neither too big nor too small. And the planet must be at the right distance from it.”   Dr Jonathan D. Sarfati, Ph.D

So, don’t get depressed by the rain. Open your eyes to see it for what it is – life giving – a gift from God. So wonderful that the Bible adopts it as a prime metaphor for eternal life.

(See for example  Jn 4:13,14 ; John 7:37-39 ; Rev 22:17)

Would you like to read more of the wonders of water?   Article by Jonathan Sarfati