Tuesday 6 July, 2021 – Care taker not master

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. 1 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Heal Country, heal our nation

July 4th -11th 2021 is Naidoc week in Australia. It is a time to listen, learn and celebrate together the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year Naidoc week is themed “Heal Country, heal our nation.” Heal Country is a call to seek greater protection of lands, waters, sacred sites and cultural heritage. Our daily digests this week will focus on God’s creation and our part in it.

Psalm 8 is a beautiful piece of scripture that shares with the reader the desires of God when it comes to the care of creation and posture of humans before him. 

We read in verse 6 that ‘You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet…’ This passage of scripture shares the heart of God in entrusting us with creation, that we would care for it and protect it.  This is a precious invitation to us all as individuals as a community.   This year’s theme for NAIDOC is heal country.  Our First Nation peoples have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in how to care for our land in a way that enables it to flourish. 

Right throughout Scripture we see a mandate to care for God’s creation. To do our best, individually and as a community to ensuring the future of our land and seeing it flourish. 

Jesus, thank you for the knowledge and wisdom that we find in scripture and that we can learn our First Nation peoples when it comes to caring for creation.  Help us today to respect and cherish the creation in which you have entrusted to us.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Ps. Annique Botta