God speaks through our circumstances…yes, even financial crisis

Before you begin reading this article, let me tell you that I am not writing today merely as a commentator on Christian life, but one who is in the throws of this whole financial/credit/mortgage crisis we find ourselves in today. I have a house for sale/rent/rent to own/lease purchase/whatever you would like to do with it/  in Georgia… and have been paying mortgage and rent now for 14 months. Only by the grace of God given through the hand of several church members have we made it thus far.This financial crisis has been a strain on our family. Not only do I have a mortgage and a rental house, but two kids in college and two foster kids at our home, as well as a mother-in-law, and two dogs. If there is anyone in this country who wants this thing to end, it is I.

But more than wanting a solution to this financial crisis, I am increasingly aware that there is an aspect to this time that we do not want to overlook, and that is the spiritual aspect. Things do not happen by accident or by coincidence, God is a purposeful God. I do not pretend to have the definitive answer nor the exclusive rights to the voice of God. But living through this, several thoughts have surfaced…

1) God is trying to lead us to repentance…

Romans 2  ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

We have come off of a time of unparalleled prosperity. We have seen the stock market grow, home values soar, easy flowing credit… all to allow us to lead a life of prosperity and relative comfort. But where has it brought us to?  We have more. We have more toys. We have more of the American dream. While we have truly been blessed, have we returned thanks? I remember these verses from Deuteronomy when the people were being told about the land flowing with “milk and honey”…

Deuteronomy 8    ¹⁰ When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. ¹¹ “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, ¹² lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; ¹⁴ when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; ¹⁵ who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— ¹⁷ then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

We have  been a very blessed nation, but we are also a nation who has forgotten that it is God’s hand that blesses us. A serious question occurs to me at this point, why do we believe that we have been so blessed?  Do we believe that we are owed blessing? (that is our national sense of entitlement) Do we believe it is because we are a “Christian” nation? (which is a fallacy that needs further discussion) Or is it that we have come to the point that the only thing we want from God is His favor and His blessing without the requirement of worship and love toward Him?

God’s goodness should lead us to repentance, not selfishness. I have been humbled by this thought over the last few months. Have I taken my own prosperity for granted?  Have I adequately humbled myself in thanksgiving to the Lord for all the good He has brought my family? Let me remind you that I am firmly entrenched in the most difficult financial time I have ever experienced… but I am reminded that I am still very blessed. My heavenly Father loves me… and the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord! (Job 1:21)

2) God does allow trials into our lives…

We have been blessed, and I believe it has been a very revealing time for our nation, seeing how we have handled blessing. Now it is interesting to see how we are going to handle adversity. If we have come to believe that there should be no adversity in life, then we need to take another look at the life of Jesus. We are into pain avoidance, and that is a natural response. There are very few people who enjoy pain or difficulty. But there is a difference between trying to avoid difficulty, which most people do, and being spiritually prepared to handle the difficulty that will come. Jesus knew that His life was not going to be one of ease and luxury, and He was spiritually ready to handle the difficulty that came. At His most trying moment, Jesus was found in the garden praying to the Father fervently, drawing in ever closer. (Luke 22:41-44)

In America, where the majority of people call themselves Christian, but do not participate in their faith, there is still a great interest in Jesus and spirituality. This was evident after 9/11, people flocked to churches the weeks following 9/11, but as things settled down, they returned to their normal routines. This financial crisis that we find ourselves in will cause some people to begin praying for sure, and maybe even a few showing up to church to find some hope, and plenty calling on the church for benevolent assistance. But are we drawing any closer to God?

The Old Testament is full of stories of God causing national crises in order to get the spiritual attention of the people. In the New Testament Paul suffered a personal physical pain, and God spoke to him and drew him in closer in the midst of his difficulty. James said to count it all joy when we face various trials, knowing that it would draw us in closer to God. In our time of need, when things are not going our way, where is our relationship with God? God is not just a doctor that we run to when we need to be fixed. God is not the mechanic we go to when things break down. God is our Heavenly Father who desires and deserves our love and attention every day.

We may look at these troubling times and wonder why now? Why does it have to be this way?  Why me? But read the Scripture below and see if you can uncover the answer…

Acts 17  ²⁵ … since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. ²⁶ And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, ²⁷ so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

What did you see?  Did you see a God who has called you to this day and this hour, under these conditions… so that you might find Him?

1. He has made every nation of men- it is no accident, God is in control and at work in our world
2. He has determined the times in which they would live- God has chosen these times, whether we determine them to be good times or bad times.
3. He has set the boundaries of their dwellings- God has set the place you are to dwell, the people that you identify with, the nation you are from- no matter whether you agree or don’t agree with the financial policies and politics of that nation.
4. He has done this so that you would seek after Him and find Him- God has made these days, times and places so that men would seek Him out and His promise is that you will find Him. His purpose is to bring you awareness of Him, a desire for Him and a hunger to be close to Him.

So what are you going to do with these days that we find ourselves in crisis?  You can choose to whine… but who will listen?  You can choose to complain… after all misery loves company. You can say it is unfair, not right, shouldn’t happen to you…but it will not change what is happening.

Or maybe, you and I can look to the Lord and listen for Him to speak, listen for Him to call us and draw us in close. He makes the times, the seasons of blessings and the seasons of trial, so that you will look to Him and look for Him. God is ever present, ever willing to work with you, every hoping for your faith, trust and love. But my concern is, if we have not looked to Him in our prosperity, will we look to Him in our day of trial?  If God is trying to capture our attention, He has already tried with great blessing… I wonder what choice we have left Him?