Encouragement

The recent economic woes and massive job losses paint a bleak picture of the American economy. We now have a president who has no regard for the sanctity of life and espouses catastrophic economic policies. In addition, the largest block of voters pay no taxes or very little, so there is no incentive to vote out leaders and representatives who promise welfare funds in order to maintain power. It is predicted that in the near future, 90-95% of taxes will be paid by those earning $65,000 or more, which constitutes a smaller block of voters who will have little influence to enact "change" in the right direction.

I believe immorality will grow more rampant, thus our elected officials will respond by enacting laws that represent the country's moral bankruptcy. Our freedoms will erode, and Christians may find themselves persecuted for speaking out against sin. As capitalism dies and socialism takes over, more and more people will become enslaved to the government for answers, job losses will increase, and we'll have less money for good works -- let alone to provide for our own needs.

I have no hope for the future of our country. But I am not worried nor depressed. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). I have to live in the world, but I don’t have to get caught up in earthly worries.

As our preacher pointed out in our sermon Sunday morning, the deterioration of our country may be God's way of telling Christians to "wake up!" We have been blessed to live in perhaps the best time in American history. Have we served God out of convenience? If we can't bring ourselves to meet with God's people three times a week for study and worship, will we muster the courage to secretly gather with our brethren? If we are down to our last dollar, will we still be able to say, “God will provide”?

Consider the environment the first century Christians lived in. The corruption and persecution didn’t keep them from serving the Lord “no matter what.” Christians were not deterred from teaching and preaching God’s word in spite of the authorities telling them to stop. And they encouraged one another to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2).

What’s done is done. We cannot – nor may we ever be able to – change what has happened. But we can encourage one another to be faithful and trust in God – no matter what. In times that can be economically challenging, we should pray like Solomon:

”Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches – Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, and I say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:9).