Have you ever considered the things that make life possible on the third rock from the sun? What were the conditions that allowed life to form on the surface of this planet? More importantly, what are the conditions that allow life to continue to exist here?
Robert Lamb wrote an article entitled "What is it about earth that makes it just right for life?" for HowStuffWorks (http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/earth-just-right-for-life.htm) In the article, he listed a number of special features that make life on this earth possible:
1. the presence of liquid water
2. an energy source (our sun)
3. a mix of the right elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen)
4. a hot metallic core
5. a rocky mantle (surface)
6. a moderate temperature (not too hot and not too cold)
7. a moon of sufficient size and position to stabilize the planet's climate
8. an electromagnetic field that protects us from harmful solar radiation
9. the proximity of the large planet Jupiter whose gravity pulls in a lot of asteroids and comets that would otherwise strike the earth with catastrophic effect
All of these factors together contributed to the formation of life on this planet and ensure its continued survival. Take any one of them away and life would not exist here - at least, not as we currently know it.
Take a moment to consider our nearest neighbors. According to NASA, mercury is a sun-scorched little hell that alternates between super heated conditions and temperatures hundreds of degrees below freezing. It describes Venus as a dim world that is much too hot for life, churns with volcanic activity and is surrounded by a thick and toxic atmosphere that traps the heat near the planet's surface. On the other end of the scale, NASA tells us that Mars is a dry, desert-like planet with a thin atmosphere that has a hard time holding on to any heat. Jupiter is a large, gaseous planet with an extremely turbulent atmosphere and no solid surface for life to gain a foothold. Hence, we can readily see, a little closer to the Sun (or a little further away) and life on this planet would be toast!
We must also remember the time element involved in the formation and evolution of life on this planet. This process has taken billions of years. Think about how resilient and adaptable life has had to be to continue to exist here. Consider for just a moment the complex ecosystems that have developed on the land (and in the water) of this planet.
It seems to me that everything here has been just right for the formation and perpetuation of life on this planet. That indicates to me that the One who created this earth and placed it in this orbit around the Sun must have cared a great deal about the life that was placed here. What do you think?
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