“What can we do?” This is the plea of many Australians in the
face of the destructive drought and fires ravishing our country in these days.
“What
can we do?” As human lives are destroyed
and creatures both domestic and wild are burnt out of large areas of habitation
our earth is crying out to us from the midst of this every increasing dry and fiery
climate.
In fact the cry is so great that around
this planet people in other countries are commenting on the situation in
Australia.
However, the reality deeply seated behind
the cry “what can we do?” is not one of us wants to give up the things of this
age we deem necessary for daily living.
Behind the question “what can we do?” is an ideology which casts blame
on someone else so “I” don’t have to change anything in my life.
The last decade has been the hottest on record. This was recently reported in the media just weeks into the new decade. And things appear only to be getting worse. As we face the devolution and degeneration of humanity, how can we fix years of havoc wreaked on our planet’s resources?
Let’s collect lots of money to fix the
problem! Let’s apply for research grants
to understand the effects of fire and smoke on our community! Let’s come together to save our world from
climate change. But let us first post on
social media how wonderful it is to be able to drive to the shops, drink coffee
out of a disposable cup, and buy goods produced for our pleasure through the
evils of pillaging and plundering our planet.
There is nothing we can do that will halt
the spiral of disaster humanity is heading towards on this earth. Our climate is changing; there are many
different arguments why. However, there
is little in the answer to the problem of climate change. The vultures will continue to circle the pool
of money. One evil will replace another
as people seek to cast blame onto someone else.
Who can stop the inferno? Who can stop the smoke? Who can make it rain or make it stop? Who can put the rainbow back in the sky where
it rightfully belongs? Can the
scientist? Can the bushfire
fighter? Can the farmers and the
graziers? Can the activist or the
protester? Can the politicians and policy makers? Can our mums and dads? Can our children? And we continue to cry out, “What can we do?”
Looking at ourselves and at our earth for
the answers leaves us in a bleak situation.
And the state of affairs is very real. We see any fix as impotent at best. But then what can we expect if we are
accidents of evolution? Shouldn’t we
expect extinction of humans, animals, and plants that are not the fittest in a
changing climate, if we hold to this doctrine of the scientifically justified man? If this is the case why do anything if this
is our lot on a planet swinging from ice age to hot house. If this is the case you or I can do nothing!
Regardless of whether we stand as
individuals on this earth or every person on earth stands together as one there
is no power within us to fix what is wrong on earth. This world is decaying exponentially; this
world is dying. If any of us think we
can fix our world, death overtakes us and the next generation faces the same
deadly scenario. When we ignore this
reality we as humans demonstrate our conceitedness. Many parade evolution but reality shows us
devolution to be the truth!
Humanity stands at the crossroads of life
and death. In fact it has never been
different, only in these days it has become more obvious in this age of
technology and knowledge that knowledge and technology will not sustain life in
the face of what nature throws at us. What we know and what we do will not save
humanity!
But something can be done. In fact it is being done. It is coming.
God’s will is being done and his kingdom is coming. It has been done, it is being done, and it
will be done. It has come, it is coming,
and it will come! When we take the rule
of this world out of God’s hands, and impose our rule on this earth God leaves
us to our own rule. And yet as an
argument against the existence of God humanity cries, “If God is ‘a god of love’
why is he letting this happen to us?” But God has lovingly given us our wish
and removed his oversight from this earth so we might see the results of our
rule.
The earth is crying out for mercy in these
days. Our fauna and flora are crying out
for mercy in the wake of the fires. Our
livestock are crying out for mercy as the drought drags on. But God is waiting for us to invite him back
into our lives so he might show mercy on us.
What can we do? Stand before God with humble hearts and
confess our sin that; we have many other gods before him; we have used God’s
name to serve ourselves; and we have ignored the teaching and preaching of
God’s word. It is time to put the spirit
of humanity aside and let the Holy Spirit return us to Jesus Christ.
In allowing the Triune God into our hearts through
the forgiveness of sins, God’s love will be revealed. God will bless our work to help our brothers
and sisters recover from the fires and the drought. We will have the power of the Holy Spirit to
mourn with those who have lost loved ones.
We will be the agents of peace in an age of
fear turning hearts to take hold of our Heavenly Father, to see him as holy, to
know his kingdom is coming in this dying world, to know his will is being done
on earth as in heaven. And by our trust
in God we will show others that Jesus is the only daily bread needed for this
life.
What can we do? Let us pray, forgive us our sins as we
forgive those, lead us not into temptation to build our own kingdoms, but
deliver us from evil into the holiness of your name. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are
yours, Heavenly Father. Amen.
For I
consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with
the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons
of God. For the creation was subjected
to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free
from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the
children of God. For we know that the
whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until
now. And not only the creation, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:18–23 ESV)
