Genesis 1 – God created man in his image with the ability to create.

We have made many advances in technology during the last 100 years.   Today one of the most used and recognized invention is the computer.  The computer has been used in completing many tasks.  One such operation allowed man to travel into space.

Apollo 12 with it’s three astronauts set sail November 14, 1969, for the moon’s Ocean of Storms.  The Saturn V rose into what had been heavy rain, but without lightning.    NASA soon learned, however, that static electricity built up by the thirty-six-story rocket, climbing through rain, can suddenly discharge.  Soggy observers could not see the Saturn V through the rain and clouds.  The thousands assembled were alarmed when lightning suddenly flashed from the low clouds into the launch complex area.   Inside the spacecraft, everything went dark when lightning tripped the main circuit breakers.  Then it suddenly came back on with warning lights flashing.   “I think we just got hit by lightning,”  Pete Conrad said, with astonishing calm. “We just lost the guidance platform, gang.  I don’t know what happened here”.

Computers were made using materials and laws that God put in place at creation.  Even today’s computers still use basic electrical signals that send messages in binary code.   By discovering how God designed things to operate, people were able to apply these laws to the inventions now in everyday use.  Understanding how electricity works has allowed modern technology to exist.

Even now, people are studying creation to find new methods of doing things.   Such as, geckos to find a reusable tape.   Dragonflies to design more efficient aircraft.  Even oriental wasps that have solar panels on their backs.   The sad part about all of these advanced designs is when people give random chance the credit instead of God.   When we apply these designs to our own creations, who is given the credit?

Months after Apollo 12 successfully completed their mission, Apollo 13 was in route to the moon.  It was a vessel of long-range exploration and the flight had gone well.   Fifty-five hours and fifty-five minutes after Apollo 13 had launched, Commander Jim Lovell had judged the flight as “the smoothest flight of the program.”   Only a few hours before, CapCom Joe Kerwin had radioed Lovell, complaining, “we’re bored to tears down here.”
Tiny fans stirred the tanks of liquid oxygen and hydrogen that kept Apollo 13’s three astronauts supplied with breathing air, drinking water, and electricity for their ship.  It was time to stir the tanks and Jack Swigert flipped the switch to activate the fans within the tank.  Two wires supplying electricity to one of the fans touched, creating a spark that quickly spread through the tank.  Bang!  Alarm systems rang shrilly amid the flashing warning lights and everything rocked violently.   When the side of Apollo 13’s service module blew out, the spacecraft began to die with problem after problem.

When our technology stops working, often times there’s not much we can do.   It then becomes clear who is in control.   Because God is in control of all things, including technology, He can make it work when we can’t.   He can also stop it from working at anytime.   Therefore; we must seek His will and blessing in the area of technology.   When we use technology, we are relying on given laws that He has put in place, that He has commanded to continue until the end of time. We must remember to give God the glory and not become proud in our own inventions.  Man cannot engineer himself to God’s level (Psalm 146:3).  Salvation is of the Lord.

The extensive team at Mission Control and other NASA locations worked feverishly to solve the problems and bring Apollo 13 home.    Intently following the story, people all around the world were praying for the three astronauts in their broken spacecraft.  Would they survive the long trip back?  How could they keep necessary systems functioning long enough?

Read the whole story about Apollo 13 sometime and think about the providence of God.   Think about all of the things that had to come together and work.  The people God put in place with everything they needed to know.   Think of Ken Mattingly, who was kept out of that flight — God knew he would be needed on earth to help solve the problems.
It was as though, in that event, The Lord was teaching us that:  Maybe we’ve landed on the moon, but when all of our planning fails, when our knowledge and strength falter, when all of human technology and mechanics break and you are left powerless; He can bring you home again.
Don’t think that Apollo 13 was an example only of man’s genius and problem solving skills; they had good help.

Sometimes, while working on my computer, I have to remind myself that it’s just technology and the Lord keeps it running.

– by Benjamin Owen / TNmemoirs.com

[NASA history and information from the book “Moon Shot” by Deke Slayton & Alan Shepard]

LINKS:

Apollo History

A  Computer Complex

Apollo 12  Lightning

Apollo 13

More Biomimetics (or biomimicry) :  Plants  /  Frog Feet  /  Butterflies

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