I woke this morning to another hot, humid day. It is so hard to get up on that kind of day. Feeling a little sorry for myself, I got some coffee and opened my e-newspaper.
And read about the fires around the globe, too numerous to list … the deadly, ongoing flooding and landslides in Europe and Asia. There is widespread drought and unprecedented heat. And wars, or “armed conflicts.”
All this on top of a global pandemic that seems will last forever.
Who is responsible for all this? We are.
Then God blessed them and gave them this directive: “Be fruitful and multiply. Populate the earth. I make you trustees of My estate, so care for My creation and rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that roams across the earth.” Genesis 1:28 The Voice
Any human trustee that failed so badly would lose his job. But God is more patient than this planet is.
Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Romans 8:20-21 New Living Translation
There is still a plan and we are still in charge of it.
So what next? A problem this overwhelming must begin with prayer:
Oh God,
Creation is groaning and we are just now noticing.
We confess that we have been lazy trustees – and bad neighbors.
We have burned and flooded Your world. We have fought and starved each other.
Our inconvenience has caused another’s life-or-death situation.
We are humbly sorry now for the damage our selfishness has caused.
But we confess that we cannot see the way back from this.
Give us Your wisdom to see beyond our own lives, to live responsibly so that others may just live.
Teach us how to restore the good creation You gave us. You alone can heal us. We wait upon You.
Amen.
Then my people, who are called by my name, will be sorry for what they have done.
They will pray and obey me and stop their evil ways.
If they do, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 International Children’s Bible
Will you pray with me?