“LOOK! WATER!” (Acts 8:36b).

Three little atoms, that’s all it is. But what an amazing combination of atoms! I’m talking about the two hydrogens and one oxygen in their life-giving combination: water, H2O.

On a fundamental and very important surface level we know that water is necessary for life. But that little bit we know and take for granted is like the tip of the iceberg. Let me sketch out just three of the amazing attributes of water that make life possible.

Did you know that water is known as the universal solvent? It can dissolve more substances than any other liquid, including sulfuric acid. Why is this important to life? Consider this, it takes water to grow crops. And since water is such an active solvent, micronutrients and minerals in the soil—which the plant needs—will dissolve in groundwater and be taken up by its roots. This is just a little detail, but my life depends on it! Millions of dollars are spent every year on fertilizer. But without water’s ability to dissolve the nutrients in the fertilizer, there would be no the purpose in using it. There would be no value in buying it. In short, there would be no food on the grocery shelves if it weren’t for the fact that water is a universal solvent.

At least 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water—mainly by saltwater, our seas and oceans. Why is that important? Wouldn’t more land mass provide more living space? Think of the oceans as a heat sink (whose heat capacity is increased by the dissolved salts). What do I mean? The sun provides so much solar energy that it could bake the Earth and render it barren.

The small percentage of Earth’s surface that is desert land proves my point. That percentage would be nearly 100% if it weren’t for our oceans. They absorb tremendous amounts of heat from the sun and hold it like a storage battery. This keeps us temperate throughout the year. The oceans release heat in the winter and absorb it again in the summer causing the overall temperature shifts on the land to be less volatile between summer and winter. It literally saves us, making life possible on Earth. Lotsa water is good!

We use water in a variety of ways. We wash in it. We cook with it. (Try to boil an egg without it!) We drink it. We think how fortunate we are to have fresh water for these purposes, but did you realize that only 3 1/2% of Earth’s water is fresh water? And only 2% of that is available for human use. We have a lot of water here on earth and we need it.

What if I said, “dihedral angle?” Does that mean anything to you? It should and I’ll tell you why. The water molecule is not linear, as one might suppose. It bends at a 104° angle. Because of this, it is unlike any other liquid. They all continue to become denser as they freeze. But water actually expands by 9% when it freezes.

“So what?” you say. I’ll tell you what. Because ice is less dense than water it floats. And since it floats, freshwater lakes freeze from the top down rather than from the bottom up. If you’re a fish, that makes a lot of difference! As water freezes it floats on the unfrozen water. Then it acts as an insulation for the unfrozen water below it, keeping it from freezing. Fish and other aquatic life in northern regions retain their habitat.

Whoever designed the earth with this marvelous amount of water, whose unique properties allow it to absorb nutrients and float when frozen, has made our life more than possible, He has made our life amazing. So, if you ever feel like thanking your creator, here’s one more thing to thank Him for.

Remember with that next glass of water what an amazing substance you hold!

Rod MacArthur

206.949.0325

rod_macarthur@comcast.net