Look! It's Upside Down!

I recently watched a documentary on the 1930s tragedy known as the “Dust Bowl.” A reporter visited a man who had lived in the mid-west his entire life. Scooping up a handful of dirt in his hands, the man exclaimed to the reporter, “Look, it’s upside down!” 

He went on to explain how the tall, native grasses had been stripped from the land, exposing the dense top layer of sand. However, if one were to dig approximately 12 inches down, he would find dark, rich soil. The farmers, deceived into investing their blood, sweat, and tears, harvested the land by plowing deep into the soil. In effect, they turned it upside down. The results led to the most catastrophic man-made disaster in all of US history. Both people and livestock lost their lives across the region, from Texas to Nebraska. The reason? The land was stripped of its God-given protective covering.

Tragically, to this day, we continue to do the same thing – only on an entirely different plain. We have stripped our land of another God-given covering: His blessing and His Presence. We have driven Him out of our schools. We have driven Him out of our courthouses. And we have driven Him out of our government. We seem to have forgotten that our government was founded by men guided by God’s principles. But now, what was once sacred is now reviled. What was once reviled is now celebrated. In effect, we’ve turned our land upside down. The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, predicted this when he wrote in the book of Romans:

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie… Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done… Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:25, 28, 32 NIV)

And so here we are in a world turned upside down. Yet even now, God, in His mercy, still offers hope! And get this: the solution appears upside down! While every other religion places the demand for restitution on the sinner, only the God of the Bible places the burden of restitution on Himself.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NIV)

Thank you, Father in Heaven, for your Son Jesus and His sacrifice: our God-given protection, covering, and blessing. May we never forget that You alone are our refuge and strength. Though we fail You, Your mercies are new every morning. We praise You and thank You for the gift of Jesus Who came into a world upside down to show us the way home. 

Copyright © September 2017, Shadia Hrichi. Used with permission.