Faith is important

So, Jessica, Rachel and I were staying at the Whitten Inn in Abilene watching a History Channel program about ancient man's first trip to America. The show dated man's arrival at 10,000 BC. Jessica and I explained to Rachel that the authors of the program didn't really know when man first came to America, but it could have been no earlier than 6,000 years ago. Any that came over then were wiped out by the flood. All others arrived between now and 4,400 years ago.

"Why don't they know when people came over?" she asked.

"Because they find their bones in the ground and try to guess," Jessica and I replied. "But the Bible teaches that God created the world about 6,000 years ago."

We explained that when her dinosaur books said "millions of years ago," what they really meant was "Long long ago."

Let's face it, sifting through archaeological and geological data can be confusing. I mean, have you ever taken geology? I gave up after two weeks and rode my roommate's coat tails.

If you do not have the proper background in interpreting the artifacts uncovered, you can get lost in a sea of stone fragments. However, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made by the things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3).

Take the Grand Canyon, for instance. Looking at the river flowing at the bottom of it, a logical person would assume it took that river millions of years to carve that canyon. However, an informed person would know that the Grand Canyon was not formed by that river, it was formed by a flood. The river is a byproduct of that flood. So, the things which are seen were not made by the things which do appear. Can a canyon the size of the Grand Canyon be carved out in a 150-day flood (Genesis 7:24)? Sure. An 80-foot canyon near Canyon Lake, TX was carved out in a three-day flood.

And these are things we never miss an opportunity to discuss with our children, so that they will have the faith to understand that God created the world.

Discipleship is a long-range process, especially with one's children. To be successful, one must have the faith in order to pass it on.