Recession

This past week I reconnected with a College friend via facebook (If that is Greek to you… we communicated through an internet community –and if that’s Greek to you… hello, it’s 2009). My facebook like most has a picture of myself and Pam and my college buddy’s response was, “Hey, you look the same except for not so much hair.” Okay, okay… I get it; the economy is not the only thing in a recession! Why are we so surprised when things recede? Didn’t Newton remind us that what goes up must come down? Yes, I understand that Paul did tell Timothy, “Be diligent… so that everyone may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:15).” And I’m certainly not sounding the bugle to retreat but battles are not always won while advancing. The road to victory often takes its toll and yes, tires that have served well start to get bald!

Now, I said all that to say this… times are going to get tough. Faith will be tested. Hope will need to anchor battered lives. And the road ahead will require us to fully comprehend what Paul meant by, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).” Paul wasn’t advocating that Jesus ensured His followers that they were invincible or recession proof. Instead Paul suggest that he’s learned the secret of contentment that whether things are plentiful or in recession he could still accomplish his goal… to find strength in Jesus partnership. What Jesus offers is not circumstantial but rather eternal. In Him is eternal life and nothing but nothing can separate us from the love of God we have experienced in Christ Jesus our Lord! All else may fail us but Jesus will never fail us nor leave us.

Yes, but faith doesn’t put bread on the table and it’s hard to get warm from the glow of good wishes. True, but faith reminds us of God’s history. David reflects, “I was young and now I am old, yet, I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25).” Yes, but bad things happen to good people! Yes, and it is their faith that sustains them and prepares them for future blessing. Okay, now I got you because you are never going to get your hair back! You’re not looking at the full spectrum of God’s grace… O, I have as much hair as I did it just grows in different places than it use to and as my father use to say, “I’m not going bald, I just have more face to wash!” The point here is victory is in our outlook not our current situation. Faith does move mountains! -DAN