I recently watched a documentary on the tragedy of the mid-west “Dust Bowl.” A man who lived in the area his entire life scooped up a handful of dirt and exclaimed to the reporter, “Look, it’s upside down!” We stripped the tall, native grasses from the land, exposing the dense top layer of sand.

Underneath, approximately 12 inches down, was 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. The reason? We stripped the land of its protective God-given covering.

A God-Given Covering

Sadly, to this day, we continue to do the same thing. We have stripped our land of another God-given covering: His blessing and His Presence. We’ve driven Him out of our schools, our courthouses, and our government. Have we forgotten that our government was founded by men guided by God’s principles?

What was once sacred is now reviled. What was once reviled is now celebrated. In effect, we’ve turned our world upside down.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. … Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to 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)

An Upside Down Solution

And so here we are, in a world turned upside down. Yet 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)

Thank you, Father in Heaven, for your protection and blessings. 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. 

Text on image reads Shadia

Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, author and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is author of several books and Bible studies, including HAGAR: Rediscovering the God Who Sees Me, TAMAR: Rediscovering the God Who Redeems Me, and LEGION: Rediscovering the God Who Rescues Me.

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