All of us, at times, find ourselves placing too much importance on the insignificant things of life—the things that moths and rust destroy and that thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20). Our time and attention are often consumed by the small worries and demands of everyday life. Like most parents, I occasionally lose sleep over the trivial details that my children and I encounter throughout our days, but then God reminds me of the things in life that really matter.
Peeling paint, dented cars, and hectic schedules quickly lose their relevance when we face the more monumental struggles of life—a dying parent, a sick child, a wayward spouse, or our own failing health. Misplaced temporal affections become immaterial when we walk through truly tough times. But while they are painful, life’s tragedies remind us of our dependence on Him and teach us to fix our eyes on the truly significant things in life—the Word of God and the souls of men. What matters most are the things that will last for eternity.
Whether our circumstances are trivial or catastrophic or somewhere in between, we can be assured that the cares of this world fade away in His presence. The knowledge of God and His Word brings everything into perspective.
ICR’s scientists and scholars understand the importance of the things that matter most—relying on the Bible for truth and proclaiming that truth to others. This issue of Acts & Facts brings into clear focus the vital significance of depending on God’s Word when we explore our origins.
Our feature article by Dr. Henry Morris III compels us to consider what God’s Word says about our beginnings—because His Word provides the foundational truth concerning the origin of all things. Likewise, this month’s Impact article by ICR’s founder discusses the essential nature of the doctrine of recent creation to true biblical Christianity, emphasizing the importance of our dependence on Scripture.
ICR’s Director of Physical Sciences, Dr. Jason Lisle, highlights the reasons that the creation account in Genesis matters. He encourages us to view the disturbing social issues of our day as symptoms of an underlying root cause—our society’s continual undermining of the authority of God’s Word. Dr. James Johnson’s article also challenges us to test the claims of evolutionists and to approach the dilemmas of life with an open Bible.
We’re so excited to introduce a brand new conference called “Your Origins Matter” that addresses many of the topics that we consider in this issue of Acts & Facts. Launched this month at First Baptist Church of Dallas, this event focuses on our foundations—and why our beginnings matter. Dynamic presenters include ICR's own gifted speakers and special guest NASA shuttle astronaut Colonel Jeffrey Williams.
God’s Word starts with “in the beginning,” demonstrating the foundational reason that our origins matter—the Bible opens with these words because it matters to God. Our Creator wants us to know the truth about our beginnings. Because it is only in knowing the truth that we can fully know Him and the redemption we have through His Son.
* Jayme Durant is Associate Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.
Cite this article: Durant, J. 2012. What Matters Most. Acts & Facts. 41 (6): 3.