Making a Splash

Making a Splash

Ask people about their summer vacation and many will tell you they spent their time at the beach, the river, or the lake. In fact, as you read this blog, I’m enjoying a relaxing swim in the sapphire blue waters of Lake Tahoe.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

This precious liquid also reveals a lot about the uniqueness of our planet and about the Creator who designed it. It seems the discovery of water on other planets or places in the universe often catches media attention, but these findings shouldn’t come as a total surprise considering that “water is the second most abundant molecule in the universe (behind molecular hydrogen, H2).”

So, the mere presence of water on Earth isn’t special; evidence suggests both Venus and Marsonce featured abundant liquid water. It’s the characteristics of Earth’s water that make this planet unusual.

For example, did you know that Earth has the just-right amount of water for supporting human life? In a newsletter article, RTB astronomer Hugh Ross explains that “for a planet to have continents, nutrient recycling, and environments suitable for human habitation, its total water content must be no more than 0.05 percent, though some researchers would argue it must be even less.” Earth happens to have the ideal amount of water for human life, despite the fact that, according to MIT planet formation researchers, it “should contain about a thousand times more water than it does”!

Earth could have ended up with too much water weight like exoplanet GJ1214, or as a parched wasteland like our sister planet, Venus. But, as Hugh argues, Earth’s just-right water indicates fine-tuning by an intelligent Creator.

As we enjoy, use, and protect this vital resource, let’s raise a glass in thanks to God for his provision of just-right liquid water—and the chance to drink from living water.

— Maureen

Resources: It seems we just can’t get enough water around RTB; our scholars write about it all the time! Check out their articles to find out more about what makes Earth’s water supply so special.