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"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" (Hebrews 11:3).
What do you think of when you see or eat a peanut? I often think of George Washington Carver!
One of my most memorable childhood trips was going to the National Monument where George Washington Carver is honored in Southwest Missouri. But I suppose I also like George Washington Carver because he has the same name as my Grandpa, George Washington Steincross!
George Washington Carver was born into slavery, orphaned as an infant, and traded for a broken-down racehorse. He had all kinds of excuses to fail and be bitter.
Yet
he grew up with a faith and love for God and an appreciation of nature
that would sustain him throughout his entire life. His forte was the
peanut and he was a pioneer in the field of chemurgy, a branch of
applied chemistry that is concerned with preparing industrial products
from agricultural raw materials. Testifying before the Senate
Agriculture Committee, he said that he got his knowledge of peanuts
from the Bible. Asked what the Bible said about peanuts he replied,
"The Bible does not teach anything regarding the peanut. But it told me
about God, and God told me about the peanut."
I especially appreciate Carver's outlook in life. He was able to see the hand of God in nature. He certainly believed in intelligent design and an intelligent Designer. Carver said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour if we will only tune in." As a devout Christian, Carver considered his laboratory, "God's Little Workshop."
I read this in an encyclopedia concerning Carver's faith: "God and science were both areas of intrigue, not warring ideas in the mind of George Washington Carver. While contemporary scientific endeavors may practice methodological naturalism, an approach which believes the universe to be unguided or chaotic, Carver reasoned that the God who created the universe also created the rules by which it was governed. He was opposed to the scientific theory of evolution and believed the creation of the world to be the Biblical creation account from the book of Genesis verbatim. He would testify on many occasions that his faith in Jesus was the only mechanism by which he could effectively pursue and perform the art of science."
I believe God is still speaking today through His creation and one of the keys to a positive, faith-filled outlook in life is to tune into His voice. In the daily verse the word "understand" translates a word that means "to exercise the mind, observe." I once again affirm, "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."
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we long to hear Your voice which gives us direction, affirmation, conviction, reproof, and comfort. Help us with the spiritual exercise of observing how You are working in our own heart and in the lives of those around us. And we especially need to observe the ways You are present in the daily grind of life. The daily routine can easily squeeze out those special sightings of Your glorious presence and supernatural workings where You make visible that which is not seen with human eyes, but only through the eyes of faith. Faithful and True God, just as You formed the universe with Your own hands, You also shape the human heart with Your own Spirit, bringing it into conformity to Your will for our lives. Help us to surrender ourselves fully to You so that we are among those who have supernatural faith which makes us confident of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see with human eyes.
Today's lead photo is by Doris High and is found in this context on her photo blog. She has a creative way of sharing her photos with a quote from George Washington Carver that I also used in today's message. Here's an online article about him (scroll down for a description of his Christian commitment). Here's info about the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond Missouri which I visited as a child.
Here's another example of Doris High's photo work that really blessed me!
"How Great Thou Art" (Video) George Beverly Shea at 98 years old!
"How Great Thou Art" (Video)
"How Great Thou Art" (Audio)
"How Great Thou Art" (Audio)
"How Great Thou Art" (Video)
"How Great Is Our God" (Video)
"God Of Wonders" (Audio)
Tuesday, November 27,
2007
Lancaster County Sunset
(Photo by Doris High)
Lancaster County Sunset
(Photo by Doris High)
Click
here to listen to this
message on your audio player."Formed At God's Command"
"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" (Hebrews 11:3).
What do you think of when you see or eat a peanut? I often think of George Washington Carver!
One of my most memorable childhood trips was going to the National Monument where George Washington Carver is honored in Southwest Missouri. But I suppose I also like George Washington Carver because he has the same name as my Grandpa, George Washington Steincross!
George Washington Carver was born into slavery, orphaned as an infant, and traded for a broken-down racehorse. He had all kinds of excuses to fail and be bitter.
Yet
he grew up with a faith and love for God and an appreciation of nature
that would sustain him throughout his entire life. His forte was the
peanut and he was a pioneer in the field of chemurgy, a branch of
applied chemistry that is concerned with preparing industrial products
from agricultural raw materials. Testifying before the Senate
Agriculture Committee, he said that he got his knowledge of peanuts
from the Bible. Asked what the Bible said about peanuts he replied,
"The Bible does not teach anything regarding the peanut. But it told me
about God, and God told me about the peanut." I especially appreciate Carver's outlook in life. He was able to see the hand of God in nature. He certainly believed in intelligent design and an intelligent Designer. Carver said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour if we will only tune in." As a devout Christian, Carver considered his laboratory, "God's Little Workshop."
I read this in an encyclopedia concerning Carver's faith: "God and science were both areas of intrigue, not warring ideas in the mind of George Washington Carver. While contemporary scientific endeavors may practice methodological naturalism, an approach which believes the universe to be unguided or chaotic, Carver reasoned that the God who created the universe also created the rules by which it was governed. He was opposed to the scientific theory of evolution and believed the creation of the world to be the Biblical creation account from the book of Genesis verbatim. He would testify on many occasions that his faith in Jesus was the only mechanism by which he could effectively pursue and perform the art of science."
I believe God is still speaking today through His creation and one of the keys to a positive, faith-filled outlook in life is to tune into His voice. In the daily verse the word "understand" translates a word that means "to exercise the mind, observe." I once again affirm, "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."
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we long to hear Your voice which gives us direction, affirmation, conviction, reproof, and comfort. Help us with the spiritual exercise of observing how You are working in our own heart and in the lives of those around us. And we especially need to observe the ways You are present in the daily grind of life. The daily routine can easily squeeze out those special sightings of Your glorious presence and supernatural workings where You make visible that which is not seen with human eyes, but only through the eyes of faith. Faithful and True God, just as You formed the universe with Your own hands, You also shape the human heart with Your own Spirit, bringing it into conformity to Your will for our lives. Help us to surrender ourselves fully to You so that we are among those who have supernatural faith which makes us confident of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see with human eyes.
Today's lead photo is by Doris High and is found in this context on her photo blog. She has a creative way of sharing her photos with a quote from George Washington Carver that I also used in today's message. Here's an online article about him (scroll down for a description of his Christian commitment). Here's info about the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond Missouri which I visited as a child.
Here's another example of Doris High's photo work that really blessed me!
Suggested Music
"How Great Thou Art" (Video) George Beverly Shea at 98 years old!
"How Great Thou Art" (Video)
"How Great Thou Art" (Audio)
"How Great Thou Art" (Audio)
"How Great Thou Art" (Video)
"How Great Is Our God" (Video)
"God Of Wonders" (Audio)
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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