As technology advanced, this folklore gave way to scientific explanations. Thunder was no longer caused by a god but resulted from superheated air rapidly expanding. Seasonal changes weren’t due to a goddess’ grief but to Earth’s axial tilt. However, even as early modern scientists learned more about the universe, they didn’t view their findings as proof of nature’s will but as evidence of God’s design.
For example, Johannes Kepler, the founder of modern astronomy, agreed with the psalmist that “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). His laws of planetary motion described the mathematical order of the solar system as a reflection of divine craftsmanship.
Matthew Maury, the pathfinder of the seas, researched and made discoveries concerning ocean currents, wind patterns, and navigation because he was inspired by Psalm 8:8 referencing “the paths of the seas.”
And Michael Faraday, one of the greatest experimental scientists in history, discovered the principles of electromagnetism, which laid the groundwork for modern electrical technology. Faraday was a devout Christian who saw his work as uncovering the laws that God had set in place. He rejected the idea that nature operated on its own and instead believed that studying the natural world was a way to help understand the Creator’s wisdom.
While science today is considered to have replaced the old mythologies, many people still speak of nature as if it possesses intelligence or will. Phrases like “Mother Nature” or “natural selection” suggest an intentional force at work. Evolutionists treat nature as an active agent that shapes creatures over time.
1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
As a child clings to simple explanations and fairy tales, ancient civilizations used divine personalities to explain what they didn’t understand about nature.
As adults, however, we should put away childish thinking. Immaturity and ignorance repeat history, deifying nature through attributing creative power to a mindless evolutionary process. This worldview also robs the Lord Jesus of His glory."
ICR