1 month to go, blessings and sadness

I checked my bank account. I’ve got enough (maybe) to stay in Aussie for one more month. To make matters worse, God has found a wonderful place for my cats to live… so I’m not even able to take my cats with me! 😦

And on that sad note, it was slightly encouraged that today I found the rainfall deficiency map for Australia for the last 3 years – these years were drought years during which many farmers took their own lives. (“The last 12 years has seen one Australian farmer commit suicide every four days” – Source, more details)

But in this last year God has abundantly shown His ability and desire to bless. And I don’t think His desire to bless is at all limited to Australia, no not at all. All around the world people are crying out to Him for many different reasons. We have terrorism, local wars, HIV/AIDS, droughts, chronic violence in areas like Mexico, 1 in 50 American children is homeless and a financial crisis which Warren Buffet says has “fallen off a cliff” and here is a list of current world conflicts.

Ongoing conflicts in the world

But now… drum roll please!… in the context of an Australian farmer committing suicide every 4 days, take a look and be amazed at what God hath wrought in Australia. 🙂

Aussie 3 year rainfall deficiency

About a year ago that would have been all red everywhere. Now the red is reduced to a few areas.

And to top it all off, I was stunned to find myself at a conference talking to those very people from the wheatbelt and then through circumstance I ended up on a farm with them, attended church and ate food with some of them, heard their stories and looked through the hand written daily/monthly rainfall charts with them and rejoiced in what God has done. Needless to say, I had tears several times, as you can imagine.

But there are still areas of red. Yes. And those areas recently had terrible fires. BUT. Even those areas are now getting rain, check it out! 🙂

1. Storms sweep through drought stricken areas – Martin Palmer, Tuesday March 10, 2009 – 19:12 EDT- In the last 24 hours much needed rainfall has fallen on some of the worst drought affected areas of New South Wales and Victoria.
2. Storms may bring decent rain to Vic, SA and NSW drought areas – Brett Dutschke, Monday March 9, 2009 – 20:34 EDT-Showers and thunderstorms this week are a chance to bring significant rain to drought-affected Wimmera, Mallee, Murray and Lower Western districts.
3. Plenty of rain for parts of South Australia – Martin Palmer, Sunday March 8, 2009 – 17:43 EDT – The Western Coast and parts of the Northwest Pastoral in South Australia have received some much needed rain in the last 24 hours.
4. Rain brewing over the south – Jessica Trevena, Friday March 6, 2009 – 17:20 EDT – Cloud is building over southeast WA, and rain is expected to develop over the weekend then spread east into SA.

God has showed Himself, He has showed His ability to bless. Only a wilfully blind person can deny the 3 year deficiency was reversed – just look at the image above.

But then again… I recently had an encounter with a person who was trying to corner me and I had my friend Angela in the room with me who could support the claim I was making. The interviewer refused to engage and talk to Angela. I challenge the person to “turn your head and ask her” and this person said she is “not allowed to”. That person had a wilful blindness and was not permitted to see the truth that was right there in the room. Sadly that person was not a truth seeker, she had an agenda. I came in the room complaining of food poisoning, she wanted to admit me as a mental case. She brought disrepute and distrust upon her industry that day, by refusing to even listen to Angela’s story about what had happened.

So… back to the current focus… God’s blessing on Australia… He has made a change in the landscape, He rescued farmers when no one else could, He has blessed abundantly, He has changed hearts right across the nation. For example, I am amazed at the change in Canberra from when I arrived 9 years ago. I can remember the exact day when I saw someone put a smiley sticker on their car, then those lovely flower stickers and then more and more. People now greet each other and interact for no apparnt reason. There is a sense of optimism and joy around. He has done a wonderful work in the land and it will show in the votes in all future elections ahead. Severe looking doomsayers will lose out, optimism and openness will be rewarded with votes.

Well… He hasn’t achieved some promises He made in my life personally and that is a huge disappoint to me. People keep saying “get ready, preparation”… but I’ve been hearing that for decades. Almost.

You see, it doesn’t really matter if Australia believes in God, because God believes in Australia. But He also has plans and intentions to continue to bless so many other nations. So many faithful people prayed for rain for so long and He heard them. Many people are praying for peace in Mexico and in the middle east and I know that He is hearing them. Others are praying for an end to violence, rape, poverty and HIV/AIDS in African countries – and I know He has heard them.

I still stand on what He said, that the captivity has ended, the prosperity has been restored, Moab has fallen.

Yet will I reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment on Moab. – Jer 48:47

Yes I know that stocks have fallen further since I first wrote those words, or since He first said that to me, but why should I doubt Him? Look at what a grandios thing He said He would do… when no one had any hope here… and HE DID IT!

So if He said He would bring rain… and then you look at just how much He did bring, and is still bringing, then surely He can bring this massive change to our societies as well? I for one no longer have any doubt at all in His ability. He did it, you can see that in the image above. Let’s believe that He can do whatever He says He can do.

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. THAT is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). – Rom 4:21-22

May God bless you if you can believe Hs words with me! With very great hesitancy I wonder what God has in store for me.