God Is Amazing!

Let me just say, God is amazing! I don’t understand it; I don’t have an agenda; I don’t even know what’s up next. But He never fails to bring me back to a central point about our foundations. It’s been in various conversations with completely different people and times over the last couple of weeks. And I know He’s not done with this topic yet because there are deeper truths and revelations that keep coming up.


Take the economy for instance. This country has and still is going through a great transition. From a country that was prosperous from acquiring stuff through debt to seeing the value of those items vanish and the results of that devastating economic transition. With unemployment on the rise, personal net worth dropping, companies struggling to survive and seeking government bailouts and laying off more workers, it’s become a vicious downward cycle. Now I believe we’re in a stage where people are afraid to spend or invest because they don’t know what’s next and they don’t want any more debt or losses. But the very fear of not knowing what is coming next will keep raising unemployment rates and lowering housing prices, it will keep the downward cycle going until we realize things are going to be ok.


Now, I’m not suggesting we should go spend frivolously or incur any debt. But the very thing we are afraid of will happen unless something changes the cycle. It says in Job 3:25, “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.” I believe there are many people that have taken it to extremes - people that have jobs, have reserve funds, and have provision for their daily needs but are hoarding cash because of the tremendous fear in the world. I’ve heard from several that have said they’ve stopped taking the family out to dinner; they’ve stopped going on trips or to the movies; they’ve stopped giving to those in need. They’ve stopped doing the things they enjoy or doing for others; they’ve stopped living. I know it’s contrary to what the world says about building your savings, and unemployment is at 7.2% and likely will rise further. Look at it another way, that means that 92.8% are employed! The majority of the nation is at work and by eliminating extra spending this will continue to eliminate jobs. You might say, what difference can one person make and you’re right to an extent. Households make up 75% of our national economy and it would take many households to change the direction.


The point is this, what is it that rules our decisions? What’s the foundation that we are standing on? Are we living in fear of the future or hope for a better tomorrow, regardless of who the President is? This is a perspective I believe God has given me to challenge my thinking. By no means should you do anything different without seeking God’s direction. For me though, I’ve been a saver really for all of my life. He’s shown me that when I choose to buy something, someone else just might be able to keep their job. And that the resources He’s blessed me with should remain in motion so that other people are blessed also. He’s challenged me with the story of Ruth and Boaz, leaving remnants of the harvest so that Ruth could collect and feed herself and Naomi (Ruth 2). He’s shown me the value of observing the seasons as Joseph did and store up in the plentiful times to have enough for the lean years (Gen. 41-45). But now in my walk, I believe He’s challenging me to “give to others so that He can give back to you.”


- “Fear is faith contaminated”

- “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself”

- “Fear and faith cannot coexist”

- “Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real”

- “Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.” – James Thurber