Over this past weekend I traveled with my family to see the Niagara Falls. We drove all morning, walked around all afternoon taking pictures, and then drove home in the evening. It was a fun day out together as a family. We were able to enjoy a sunny, albeit very hot, day while admiring the beauty and power of the falls. I was continuously struck by a single thought. What power and might there is contained in the flow of water through the river coming to a culmination as it froths over the edge and pounds the rocks beneath to its will. I was struck with the thought of where the water came from, and Who controls it. It amazed me that so many people, millions actually, would come to see this majestic sight every year, and yet so many of those people would never even think about or recognize that the power behind and control of these falls is God alone.
As we strolled down the man made concrete sidewalks, I pondered the difference between them and the enormous cliffs that the river had carved through solid stone in order to reach its proper destination. In many ways, this reminded me of the majesty and awe inspired by the Grand Canyon. I thought about the many ways that man attempts to protect and upkeep its creations (the sidewalks) and the struggle that they have in doing so. Yet, God has complete control over one of the most powerful and forceful river/falls that exists in the world, and He never struggles to control its reach, its force, or its depth. This is amazing and glorious to me. What if God decided that He would no longer hold this river to its current course? What if He wished to move it over a couple hundred feet to one side or the other? What would people think?
I think that most people would proclaim that a disaster had happened, that they would curse God for the destruction created by such a change. However, I think that this is the wrong way to view God's creation and His control over it. He not only controls every aspect of His creation, but He also sustains it and causes it to do His bidding. Instead of merely watching it flow with such gusto through the banks that attempt to contain it, He decrees what ways it may expand or contract and how forceful it may propel itself over the precipice.
The amazing part about Niagara Falls is not the falls themselves. No, the amazing part about the falls, is that they actually have a creator that continues to mold and shape their course. God created something that draws millions of people to their edge every year, and yet those same people would claim that they do not know God, that they do not believe in Him, and that He does not exist. This should not only haunt us, but should also cause us to rejoice. It should haunt us in that most of the people that see this sight every year, they reject God outright by rejecting His creation as being His. It should cause us to rejoice in that God has given us grace to see His beauty and mercy.
I have seen and heard claims about the ways in which the falls, and the extending river walls were created. Yet, the easiest and best explanation for how/why it was formed and for the way it was formed is found simply and clearly within the pages of scripture. People try to come up with all of these outlandish ways by which things may have been created, and yet the most simple is this. In the book of Genesis we see the description of a massive flood, covering all of the earth. Upon its retreat it would have created massive gorges throughout the world. This is the most likely cause for such an amazing sight such as Niagara Falls. Sure, the river cuts away some of the ground over time and creates different angles and edges. However, the most likely cause was the reduction of the flood of the Bible.
I challenge anyone who believes in the God of the Bible to journey, at one time or another, to Niagara Falls. Not for the touristy things surrounding them, but to see the majesty and beauty of your Creator shining through in such a way as to show you a glimpse of the might and power of His word.
