That belief in me has not changed. This is not to say there haven’t been questions and even at times a smidgen of doubt in the validity and accuracy of the Bible stories. The more I study and learn, however, my steadfast confidence in the scriptural accuracy is constantly being strengthened.

The story of the flood and Noah’s ark seems to be illogical and in many minds could not have happened. My logic at 10 years old told me this was an Old Testament parable told to make a point and not to be taken as an actual occurrence. When I told my Sunday School teacher of this thought, she did not react favorably. She even had a talk with my mother about my notions. They relentlessly prayed for me for months.

My home town is at an elevation of about 600 feet above sea level. Only 1,000 miles west are mountains over 14,000 feet. How could that much water even be in existence and flood the mountain ranges of the world (Genesis 6: 17)?

When we were kids in that eight to 14 age range, my friends and I roamed the fields and woods any time we could escape the monotony of our imposed lifestyles and into such magnificent surroundings.

We “explored” caves and sink holes, fished and swam in the creeks and ponds and, in general, were living the dream of being “little boy explorers.”

We were also collectors of our discoveries, picking up such items as buckeyes, used nails, hawk feathers, bones and fossils. It was not uncommon to find several sea fossils on a venture into the country. How can one even begin to explain the existence of sea fossils at 600 feet above sea level and 1,000 miles west of an ocean?

The only possible and reasonable explanation is that the area was once covered with water. Could this be because of continental movement? Maybe there was a polar shift a few million years ago. Those excuses, to me, seem unlikely so the only possible answer is the story of the flood in the Book of Genesis.

I have found that in so many cases, people redefine information to support their personal opinion. Usually, when people come up with disputing “facts” concerning Bible information, those facts are tangled and twisted to meet their narrative.

Rainbows also present a challenge to the analytical mind.

Genesis 9:13, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” There is a very simple explanation for the forming of rainbows: “When sunlight hits a rain droplet, some of the light is reflected. The electromagnetic spectrum is made of light with many different wavelengths, and each is reflected at a different angle. Thus, spectrum is separated, producing a rainbow.” Copied.

Is this explanation sufficient to refute the Biblical explanation of rainbows? You decide! My thinking is this condition did not exist until God “set His bow in the sky.” What we believe is a personal decision, but all I ask anyone is to look at the evidence and scriptural reference; then be fair and reasonable in deciding your belief.

In considering Genesis as a factual account of creation and the following events such as the flood, the faith factor certainly comes into play, but several eye-opening questions arise. The finding of the fossils would be a strong point in my mind.

I once stood on the concrete skirting of the Gatun Locks and watched a container boat being pulled through. Those locks are the Atlantic entrance into the Panama Canal. That ship hauled hundreds of containers (each the size of 18-wheeler box trailers) and was longer than three football fields.

To see a boat weighing over 100,000 tons and realize it was built to the same dimensional ratio as Noah’s ark really activates my thought processes. Some of those ships now in service are up to 1,400 feet long and loaded, weigh over 220,000 tons. I counted 53 ships anchored in the Atlantic waiting to pass through the canal and it’s very likely every one of those was built to the same dimensional ratio.

Ship builders have found those dimensions given to Noah as the most efficient size ratio to use in the 21st century to build ships. If this is not convincing of the omniscience of God, I cannot imagine what it would take. That ratio is 6/1 length to width and 10/1 length to height (Genesis 6:15).

Ship builders have experimented with varying ratios, but have always come back to God’s dimensions. Deniers would say this is coincidence, but how many coincidences would be required for agreement? Some are too contrary to be objective in looking at the facts.

So, what is the source of all knowledge and wisdom? Did not God give Solomon his wisdom? “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore,” I Kings 4:29.

God has also given us a portion of His wisdom and knowledge in the book we call the Holy Bible. The dimensional ratio of ship building is only one example. There are 31,102 verses in the Bible and every one is a conveyance of the mind of God to us.

My contention is that those who deny the Bible as a God-inspired book have not taken time to study it. The evidence is in abundance, but only if one will be reasonable in considering it.

John 1: 1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

The Bible tells us Jesus was actually God come to Earth in the flesh (John 1: 14) with the main purpose to die for the sins of the world.

John 19: 30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” When Jesus uttered the words “It is finished,” He was referring to the redemption of mankind. We are blessed to live in an age where we can have an eternal perspective with a complete assurance of its truth and validity.

With compelling evidence of the truth of the scriptures, such as the dimensions of a ship, how can we doubt? We are just simply asked to believe (John 3: 16): Christ Jesus was crucified for the remission of sin and resurrected. Do you believe this? It’s your choice.