The Australian coat of arms pictures two creatures: the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to the Australian citizens. Both the emu and the kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail.

Those who truly choose to follow Jesus should try to be like the emu and the kangaroo, moving only forward, never back (Luke 9:63, Philippians 3:13-14).

Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said to him, no one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Philippians 3:13-14 “13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”