For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that he has made … so that they are without excuse.

~Romans 1:20 KJV

Intelligent design is a term used to describe the complexity of nature’s design. For believers, God is this Intelligent Designer, and He has an eye for design.

Consider, for example, the honeybee. God equipped this tiny creature with five eyes—three simple and two compound. He fashioned the bee’s four wings to lock together during flight like a zipper. He gave the bee two stomachs—one for eating and one for storing nectar. Then, He covered the honeybee’s legs with fishhook-like hair in just the right areas so pollen would collect. This, in turn, helps the plants from which the bee harvests nectar to pollinate. As a result, the bees’ food source thrives even though it is completely unaware of the process. But the Intelligent Designer is.

The bee’s social structure also points to the Intelligent Designer. The honeybee cooperates with its coworkers to fashion the hexagonal comb in which it stores nectar. This shape is strong. The honeybee cannot know this, but, nonetheless, the Designer has instilled in it the instinct to create the comb in such a way.

Honeybees seal this delectable nectar into the comb’s chambers, but only when the hydration and sugar content reach optimal levels. Yet, how does the honeybee know how to measure sweetness? It doesn’t, but the Intelligent Designer puts this knowing in it instinctively.

On hot days, the honeybee joins other workers in a military-style lineup to fan the honey, keeping it from spoiling from heat exposure. Again, instinct works.

Additionally, the honeybees’ instinctual knowledge from the Intelligent Designer allows them to find their hives from long distances. The bees also relay the location of flower sources to their coworkers through waggle and circle dances. The honeybee does not have parents to teach it these skills. It just knows because it has a Designer who knows.

Furthermore, each bee has a different job in the hive—some guard, some collect honey, others nurse drones and eggs, and some mate with the queen. All of these intricacies speak of the existence of God, the Intelligent Designer.

Paul speaks of the Intelligent Designer. When we look at nature, we realize without excuses that God exists. It is God who has designed our world with precision and creativity. The honeybee’s design is only one example.

If God created this tiny creature with five eyes of two types, and with an orderly social system and instinctual intellect, then He designed us. Not only did He design us with innate abilities beyond instinctual impartation, but He also gifted us with His eye for design. In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image…. Let them (mankind) have dominion.”

The God who designed us trusts us to care for all He has created. Simply stated, Adam’s job is ours now. Furthermore, because we bear the image of our Creator, we can create from His creation.

God created you to design. We do not create from a void as He did, but rather, we create from His creation. It’s as if God put a paintbrush in your hands when He gave you this world to care for. The next time you see a honeybee, remember the Lord, who has an eye for design. He has entrusted the honeybee and every creature to your care.

God created us as caretakers of this earth. Think of one way you can implement this care.

Father God, give me an eye for design and help me to care for Your creation. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2016: An Eye for Design: Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved