Day 2: Facts Are Stubborn Things
Psalm 19:1-2
"The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known."
Main Idea
Have you ever been in an argument where someone just kept changing the subject because they didn't want to deal with the evidence?
Here's a phrase worth memorizing: facts are stubborn things. They don't care about your feelings. They don't care about your worldview. They don't care what's trending. Facts just sit there, stubbornly being true, whether you like them or not.
When it comes to the question of how everything got here, there's a weird thing that happens. People divide into teams—Team Religion vs. Team Science—and then they stop listening to each other. But here's the thing: truth doesn't have a team. Truth is truth. Good science is good science. And if the facts point somewhere, the honest move is to follow them, even if you don't love where they lead.
Some people who are into faith get nervous around science, like it's going to destroy what they believe. But why? If what you believe is true, more evidence should only help you. And some people who are into science refuse to even consider the possibility of a designer, because that feels "religious." But imagine doing math where you're not allowed to use the number four. Two plus two? Can't go there—four isn't an option. How do you get an honest answer with rules like that?
Real honesty means following evidence wherever it leads. Not where it's comfortable. Not where it's popular. Where it leads.
What Else the Bible Says About This
- — It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings
- — God's invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made
- — Test everything; hold fast to what is good
- — An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge
Let's Apply This...
Think about one belief you hold that you've never actually examined. Maybe it's something you were taught in school, or something you picked up from social media, or even something you heard at church. Today, spend a few minutes asking yourself: "Do I believe this because of the evidence, or because it's just what the people around me believe?" You don't have to change your mind. Just be honest about why you believe what you believe. That's the first step of real thinking.
God's Message to You
"I didn't create you to be afraid of questions. I created you to ask them. Every honest question you ask brings you closer to Me, not further away. I'm not hiding from science. I'm woven into every equation, every law of nature, every discovery your species has ever made. So don't be afraid to look closely. Don't be afraid to think hard. The more carefully you examine My creation, the more clearly you'll see My fingerprints. I'm not threatened by your doubts. I'm big enough to handle them."
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Prayer
Lord, I don't want to be the kind of person who only accepts evidence that confirms what I already believe. That's not honesty—that's fear. Give me a mind that's brave enough to ask hard questions and humble enough to accept hard answers. If the facts are stubborn things, help me be stubborn about finding them. And if the evidence points to You, give me the guts to follow it. Amen.
Reflection Questions
- Be honest: do you tend to believe things because of evidence, or because of the people around you? What's one belief you hold that you've never actually examined?
- Today's devo talked about how some people refuse to "consider the number four"—they won't even entertain the possibility of a designer. Have you ever seen that kind of closed-mindedness in yourself or others? What did it look like?
- What does it mean to you to "follow the evidence wherever it leads"? Is there a direction you'd be uncomfortable with it going? Why?