The Sky is Falling...

Has it hit your local church yet? This whole fiscal, financial mess that's threatening to bring down the house of cards Wall Street built? Have your tithes and offerings tailed off to where you're not only worried about apportionments, but about making your monthly budget requirements?

What is it that God says? "Fear not, for I am with you." Yet we, as Christ followers, act like Chicken Little. Remember her? "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" But the sky wasn't falling, only her perception of events at that time made her think it was.

Have we been worse off? Better believe it. The Great Depression, which was heralded by the stock market crash of 1929, saw 25% unemployment in the U.S. and world wide hardship for those countries still recovering from the First World War. But the people turned to God in those days, knowing that like everything in life it was merely transitory. that it wouldn't last forever. The Rev. Robert Schuler had a saying a few years back that should ring even truer today, "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." The United States produced people during the 30's that is referred to today as the greatest generation. The men and women who enabled this country to go into the Second World War with an attitude that was unmatched by the enemies of freedom. They had ridden through the worst part of the storm, and not only had they survived but the country had as well.

In this election year we, too, are faced with some tough times. But the one thing that has always held true for the American people throughout our history is that we have known we could ride it out. That the fundamentals of the Republic were solid. That the free economy we established would rebound. And that if we turn our face toward God we can handle any storm that might arise. This is why it's so important for the church to reach out to those who don't know the true freedom in Christ Jesus. Why the next generation must be told about what it means to be a follower of the one God. How we, together, can make life better for one another. And be secure in the knowledge that God has not forgotten us.

"If My people will confess their sin and return to Me, I will heal their land."
Amen.

Maranatha.