This is the message behind The Earth is the Lord’s!, a ten-day devotional by Baptist World Aid Australia which reinforces biblical principles and practical responses, inviting Christians everywhere to join together in caring well for the Earth.

The series has been written by Baptist World Aid’s communication team as a spiritual tonic as a prelude to the COP21 climate change conference beginning in Glasgow on Sunday. It offers reflections on God’s “Technicolor” creativity, ways to connect with God’s character, answers that “who is my neighbor?” question.

“Our prayer is that this devotional will deepen your love for the Triune God and his good creation, as it has done for us at Baptist World Aid,” says acting CEO Melissa Lipsett. “And because of our mission at Baptist World Aid, we have a particular focus on the gift of creation as it connects us to those living in poverty.”

Inspired by the organisation’s long history of supporting international programs that ensure environmental stewardship in vulnerable communities, the series asks how Christians can better love God and their neighbours in caring for the Earth. Each of the five authors explores their own personal experiences and the effect of consumerism and unsustainable practices on vulnerable or polluted communities. Each devotional also includes original prayers and reflective questions that help individuals or groups dig deeper into each topic. 

“Some came out of situations they were living through at the time they wrote them, while others came after years of thinking about certain passages and strolling through the bush or by the ocean,” says Lipsett.

“From start to finish, they turned their love for God’s creation into a series of heartfelt devotionals that we hope will inspire others in equally personal and insightful ways.”

The Earth is the Lord’s! is available as daily emails or for download here.