God's wisdom is clearly seen n the way he constructed our home, the earth. (Romans 1:20; Hebrews 3:4) Ours is not the only planet that orbits the sun, but the earth is unique because it has all of the right conditions to sustain human life.
In some respects, the earth is like a boat floating in the vast ocean of space. But there are key differences between a man-made boat, full of people, and our earth. For example, how long would the occupants of a literal boat survive if they had to produce their own oxygen, food, and water if they could throw any waste products overboard? The people in that boat would soon die. In contrast, the earth supports billions of living creatures. It produces all the oxygen, food, and water we need, and we do not run out of those vital supplies. Its waste produces are not ejected into space; yet, the earth remains beautiful and habitable. How is that possible? Jehovah designed the earth with the ability to recycle resources. We will briefly look at two of these brilliantly designed cycles, the oxygen cycle and the water cycle.
Oxygen is a life sustaining gas that is used by some living things, including us. It has been estimated that living creatures breathe in a hundred billion tons of oxygen in a year. These same creatures breathe out a waste product called carbon dioxide. (Note. by the way, we also breathe it out; so when we have those masks on, we are breathing that gas back in and it is not good for us) Yet, these living creatures never consume all the oxygen, and the atmosphere never becomes choked with the "waste" gas, carbon dioxide. Why not? Because Jehovah also created organisms -from large trees to tiny algae-that take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. In a very literal way, the oxygen cycle confirms the words recorded at Acts 17:24, 25: "God . . . gives to all people life and breath."
Water in liquid form exists on earth because our planet is located at the perfect distance from the sun. If it were just a little closer, all the water would boil off, leaving a hot, lifeless rock. If the earth were a little further away, all the water would freeze, turning the earth into a giant ball of ice. Because Jehovah placed the earth at this ideal location, the earth's water cycle can sustain life. The sun heats water in the oceans and on the earth's surface and evaporates the water to form clouds. Each year, the sun evaporates nearly 120,000 cubic miles (500,000 cu km) of water. This water stays in the atmosphere for about ten days before falling as rain or snow. The water eventually makes its way back to the oceans or other bodies of water, and the cycle is repeated. This efficient, sustainable cycle proves that Jehovah is both wise and powerful. - JOB 36:27. 28; ECCLESIASTES 1:7.
Next time: Do You Appreciate God-Given Gifts? - Jehovah's Gift of the Water Cycle
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