Things
We Know
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is
coming on the world. (Luke 21:26)
I realize that the above verse is meant for the Great
Tribulation, but it came to mind as I read some of the “news reports” that have
come across my screen this week.
Here's a sample of what's currently going around.
1.
The President and all of his men are lying
through their teeth regarding the government's health care proposal.
They plan to take over the insurance industry, require everyone to
enroll, and appoint bureaucrats we'll never meet to determine the level of care
we deserve.
2.
People will take to the streets this fall in
rebellion against the government's attempt to make flu shots mandatory.
3.
The coming commercial real estate and credit card
melt downs will be the worst yet.
4.
By mid fall the talking heads on Sunday news
shows will be openly using the word “depression” to describe our economic
condition.
5.
In a move to replace the dollar, banks will close
for a few days soon to prepare for issuing new currency.
When they reopen everyone will discover that the new currency is only
worth 8-16 cents on the dollar.
6.
The National Guard is recruiting people they can
train to become internment/resettlement specialists, perhaps to man the
internment camps that are being constructed across the country.
7.
The government is working on a way to implement
“preventive detention” programs to lock people up in advance for crimes they
might commit.
These are just the reports I received from sources I have
always believed to be credible. I
won't even mention the ones I get from the “wing nuts” out there.
I have no idea whether any of these claims are true.
And that's part of the problem.
I don't think there's one single unbiased information source left in this
country. Everyone's pushing some
kind of agenda. The middle ground
seems to have totally eroded away, and people on both sides are becoming just
plain mean to anyone who disagrees with them. This polarization of opinions has
effectively put an end to any meaningful discussion.
As a result, a growing number of people believe that the
government is trying to pull a fast one on us and they're upset.
And when it seems like all the government does is attack those who
criticize them, it makes people even more suspicious.
And that's what made me think of Luke 21:26.
They say our greatest fear is the fear of the unknown and right now
there's a lot that's unknown. So
let's take a moment to review what we can know and focus on that.
We Know This
The first thing we know is that historically, God has
always taken issue with those in leadership positions when their plans have run
contrary to the welfare of His children.
He had the Prophet Micah explain this in no uncertain terms.
Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil
on their beds! At morning's light
they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.
They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them.
They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.
Therefore, the LORD says, "I am planning disaster
against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,
for it will be a time of calamity. (Micah 2:1-3)
Obviously Micah was speaking to Israel, but the parallels
with current events are striking, and Paul did say that everything that was
written in the past was written to teach us. (Romans 15:4) According to
some, the biggest transfer of wealth in history has just taken place.
Before this is over many will have had their homes and property seized
and many more will have been defrauded of their inheritance.
But wait a minute, you say, fraud implies a dishonest
intent. Indeed it does. Does any
body believe the current financial meltdown, decades in the making, just snuck
up on us? Were the best financial
minds alive today all taken by surprise?
Did those in the know suffer the loss of half their assets too? Where did
all the money go?
On one day last week a panel of economists declared that
the recession is over, and a major bank reported paying over $3 billion in
bonuses to its senior staff. The
next day we learned that retail sales for July had plunged unexpectedly and a
record number of new unemployment applications had been filed.
And the recession that's supposed to be over won't show us any solid
proof of its demise until the middle of 2010.
Are you feeling a little like a mushroom?
(Kept in the dark and fed a bunch of manure?)
In effect the Lord had Micah tell the leaders of Israel,
“You're lying in bed at night devising new schemes for defrauding my people?
Fine. I'm lying in bed at
night devising ways to punish you.”
Who does history say won that contest?
If it's going on again, who will win this one?
And We Know This
So if we're being victimized, the leaders responsible for
doing it will get theirs. But the Lord has a message for the victims too, and
that's the second thing we know.
There are many versions of this message, and we've covered some of them before.
King David wrote this one.
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those
who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they
will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and
enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself
in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.(Psalm 37:1-4)
When evil men prosper, it doesn't have to be at our
expense. The Lord has unlimited
resources and by trusting in Him our heart's desires can be fulfilled regardless
of what others do. We start by
trusting in him (we yield our lives to Him) and doing good (literally, we're
pleasant and agreeable toward Him).
We dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture (we abide in Him and let Him provide
for us). We also delight ourselves
in Him (we let Him pamper us). As we
do He gives us the desires of our heart (answers our prayers and petitions).
Are you out of work, or worried that you soon will be? Are you losing
your home or other assets? It might
be a great opportunity to turn your life over to the Lord, and let Him do all
the things He's always wanted to do for you.
Remember, Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have
it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Still OK financially? Do it
anyway.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your
cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do
not fret when men succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked
schemes. Refrain from anger and turn
from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the
LORD will inherit the land. (Psalm 37:5-9)
We need only commit our hearts to Him and trust Him to do
this. Even if it seems like wicked
men are prevailing against us, we're to be patient and not get angry or lose
hope. We can afford to be like the
first century Christians who joyfully accepted the confiscation of their
property, because they knew that they themselves had better and lasting
possessions. Like them, we should
not throw away our confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
We need to persevere so that when we have done the
will of God, we will receive what he has promised. (Hebrews 10:34-36)
Remember when Pharaoh's army had the Israelites trapped
between the mountains and the Red Sea?
The people felt betrayed and were terrified.
They demanded that Moses explain how he had gotten them into such a mess.
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm
and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians
you see today you will never see again.” (Exodus 14:13)
That's still good advice.
The Lord is not like us. He
doesn't change His mind or break His commitments.
(Numbers 23:19) The promises of Psalm 37 are still more
certain than the most ironclad agreement you could ever negotiate on Earth.
You only have to trust Him.
That's all we can do, and that's all we need to do.
We can't trust our leaders, we can't trust the experts, we can't trust
the media. We can only trust the
Lord.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
This we know. These are my thoughts on 08-15-09.
