It was the great philosopher René Descartes who said, “Je pense, donc je suis,” which translates in English to “I think therefore I am.”

On the surface, it seems to be an elementary statement that doesn’t have much to offer us on a philosophical level.

Yet, the more we think about it the more we realize that thoughts cannot exist apart from somebody thinking them. The fact that you are “thinking,” as you read these words, is proof of your existence!

Now, lets take this idea a step further. “Life exists. Therefore God exists.”

Again, on the surface, it’s something that seems so trivial, yet the more we think about it the deeper the thought becomes. For example, are you aware that the giraffe disproves the Theory of Evolution?

The giraffe has a longer neck than any other mammal on the earth. They also tend to live in dry, arid areas where water and foliage are sparse. Evolution teaches that a giraffe is the evolutionary product of a horse-type animal, and has adapted to areas in which foliage is more readily available in tree tops.

It is not until we study how the neck of a giraffe operates that we realize that this cannot be the case.

You see, giraffes’ necks are an average of 6 feet long. Let’s say for a moment that a horse-like animal gave birth to its offspring, and it had a neck that was 6 feet long. That animal would bend down to get a drink of water only to be killed instantly by the amount of blood that went screaming down its 6-foot neck into its brain!

At that moment, the animal that we call a “giraffe” would cease to exist. Yet, the blood running down the giraffe’s neck, when it gets a drink of water, does not kill it because of the sponge-like vessels at the top of the neck, that are able to prevent large amounts of blood from going into the brain.

On the other hand, let’s say that in this evolution model, the horse-like animal did give birth to an offspring with a 6-foot long neck, which was also born with a sponge-like vessel at the back of its neck. Now let’s say that the animal bends down to get a drink of water and as it is drinking it sees a predator out of the corner of its eye, ready to pounce.

Our animal gets up to run and passes out because all of the blood is still contained in its sponge-like vessels. The animal is eaten alive, and again, it ceases to exist. Yet, it doesn’t die because the sponge releases the right amount of blood at the right time. Do you see how the giraffe could not exist apart from intelligent design?

The giraffe is not the only example of God’s magnificent design. Creation is full of miraculous examples of an intelligent Creator. And, if you really stop to think about it, all life defies evolution.

“Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” — Isaiah‬ 66:2 NIV.

It’s not until its too late that we realize that we can’t keep ourselves on course unless we have Someone guiding us.

David Waddle is Pastor at the Lynchburg First Church of Christ.