Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

by Helen Brown, a Farmer’s Wife and Christian author near Inverell in NSW.

Intention
We are all equal in the eyes of God. He loves us and is trying to get our attention.

Scripture
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:45

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Exodus 34:14

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
James 2:10

For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
Deuteronomy 10:17

Reflection
Our country was once known as the Great Southern Land of the Holy Spirit, but we as a people have been pushing God out of our lives for many years now. We even decided to take His name out of our National Anthem back in 1974.

We have allowed our society to set up many great statues of gold; these are anything that comes between us and God. Well, one’s called ‘climate change’. We have allowed this god to put the welfare of animals and the environment before people and our service to God.

We even think that our actions, good and bad, can change something that God has complete control over.

When ignored by people who we want to engage with, we make sure that we get their attention. I’m sure most parents have unplugged the Xbox, TV, or computer in order to get the attention of the children. Bosses and adults use other methods to get the attention of fellow workers. I’ve seen teachers use some very creative methods to get the attention of their class.

God wants our attention. He wants us to talk to Him, love Him, engage with Him in praise of His goodness and His creation. Yet, we have collectively as a country failed to do this for so long. Is it any wonder that He has unplugged the very thing that we worship? He has stopped the rain, the thing that is essential to our lives and food, our very existence.

As our eyes constantly turn to the sky to wait for the clouds to form and pour out rain upon the dry, dusty earth beneath our feet, may we also fall on our knees and pray that God will forgive us for all the times we didn’t remember that He is the creator, maintainer, and controller of our world. The one thing a drought does: it doesn’t discriminate between the rich, poor, guilty, or innocent. A great reminder that we are all equal in the eyes of our God.

When we return to giving the Lord of creation the respect, honour and glory that is due to Him, then He will open His hand and pour spiritual and physical blessings out on our land.

Prayer
Lord, we have grieved You for so long; we thank You for Your patience, for the way You have continually blessed us even though we have been a thankless nation. Lord, forgive us for our thanklessness. Lord, may Your Holy Spirit move amongst all of us, stir us to tear down the gods we have replaced You with. We praise You for loving us all equally, and Father, we ask that You open Your hand and pour out great blessings once again on this Your land, Your great land. Amen.