What evidence is there that proves God as Creator? A Butterfly!

That’s a question about which volumes have been written.  From the smallest seed to the vastness of the universe we see God’s hand of design and His creative majesty in everything.  From the dust of the earth to the amazing design and function of the human body, we wonder at the marvelous creation of God and we give thanks for His plan and purpose in all things.

Everything in creation reflects the hand of our wonderful Creator and all things either whisper or shout of His redeeming grace and mercy.  The Bible tells us that all creation sings of His glory:

Psalm 19:1  The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 66:4  All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.

While the heavens and the earth are wonderful proofs of God’s as Creator, the greatest proof would have to be man.  Only man was created in God’s image and only man has the ability and opportunity to enter into a relationship with his Creator and to love, honor and serve Him. Man is proclaimed by God to be the crowned glory of His creation (Psalm 8:5).  Consider also the human body.  Is there anything more amazing?  When we reflect on how our bodies function physically and our mental and emotional faculties, we know that our Creator and Redeemer is worthy of all our praise.

While man is the greatest evidence of God as Creator, I present for your consideration another perfect example of God’s amazing handiwork in creation–the small, but magnificent, butterfly.  It is perhaps the best evidence to reveal both God’s design in creation and His purpose and plan in redemption, which is reflected in the life cycle of a butterfly.

I love butterflies.  They have always amazed me with their captivating beauty and delicate nature.  They have no “voice” and yet they speak volumes about their Creator.  Butterflies live in perfect harmony with their environment and ecological purpose.  They delight the smallest of children and capture the attention of the aged.  They have a “story” to tell and their “testimony” is amazing.

Let’s begin with seven interesting facts about the butterfly:

1) Butterflies have an amazing etymology (origin of a word and what it means).  The Greek word for butterfly is psuche, from which we get the English word psyche. Strong’s Dictionary defines the Greek word for butterfly as “breath, i.e. (by impl.) spirit…the rational and immortal soul.” [1]

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines psyche as, “the soul, mind, or personality of a person or group.”  Synonyms for psyche are soul, spirit, ego, mind, subconscious, self, essential nature, inner self and true being. [3]

So the name for this small and fragile, flying insect actually has the meaning of the essence of oneself.  Figuratively, we are all butterflies at some stage in its lifecycle.

2) Butterflies live everywhere, with the exception of Antarctica.  Due to the extreme cold, it’s impossible for any animal to live in Antarctica.  Creatures in the oceans around Antarctica go ashore to breed and nurture their young, but the extreme cold and lack of a food source prohibits them from remaining onshore for very long.  With the exception of this one locale, where no life form can live, butterflies are everywhere!  That speaks of their amazing adaptation to their environment.

3) Butterflies are diverse and each has a beauty of its own.  Butterflies are found in all sizes, from tiny to large and every size in between.  Some are more colorful than others; and some are more delicate and fragile than others, but all butterflies have a common origin.  They were all “born” from the humble beginnings of a caterpillar, a worm-like creature of no beauty.  Caterpillars go through a regeneration process into new life when they transform into a butterfly.

4) Butterflies have a mission.  Ecologists and lepidopterists study the butterfly’s environmental contribution.  Just like bird-watchers, butterfly-watchers marvel at the beauty of these magnificent creatures and their importance in the ecological system of our world.

5) Butterflies are considered a symbol of hope, regeneration, and peace by many people groups throughout the world and throughout history.  Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese thought butterflies to be a sign of love, joy and peace, representing tranquility and spiritual transcendence.

6) Butterflies are a breathtaking example of regeneration, of transformation, and of resurrected life.  Their lifecycle has an important “story to tell” and they are elevated above all other creatures in their ability to point us toward the gospel message of saving grace and the transforming power of Jesus Christ in the regeneration of a sinner to a saint.

7) Butterflies are free.  They flutter below the Heaven of heavens, and above the earth, in the lower part of the heavens that we can observe.  They are light as a feather and unshackled from their previous existence.

Therein lies seven of my reasons why I like butterflies.

How does the Butterfly “proclaim” not only God’s perfect design but also His plan of redemption?

Read: What’s the most amazing proclamation of the gospel in nature?

You’ll understand why I claim the butterfly is the second best evidence (after man) of both our Creator and Redeemer.  It reveals His handiwork in creation and “whispers” of our blessing in redemption.

<*}}}><

[1] James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 79.

[2] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psyche

[3] http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/psyche

Why the Butterfly?