So here is a discussion starter...
What is the purpose of temptation?
The Bible says that no temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to man. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
But my question is, why do we have Temptation at all? This discussion will influence the sermon on sunday, so have a ball!!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Difference between Ambition...
Here is a life long battle for us... How do we separate our personal ambition and God's ambition for us? Rather than waxing eloquent on this one, I would like to present you with 2 questions:
1. What is your dream for your life? Don't get all philosophical or overly spiritual like, "Just to do God's Will." That is nice and all, and we all could say that, but what is YOUR dream for your life?
2. How do you mesh that with God's agenda?
Enjoy the discussion.. and remember as Paul wrote: "I have LEARNED the secret of being content in any and all circumstances..." Philippians 4
1. What is your dream for your life? Don't get all philosophical or overly spiritual like, "Just to do God's Will." That is nice and all, and we all could say that, but what is YOUR dream for your life?
2. How do you mesh that with God's agenda?
Enjoy the discussion.. and remember as Paul wrote: "I have LEARNED the secret of being content in any and all circumstances..." Philippians 4
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sin Hinders Prayer...
Another entry that I borrowed from my friend John Samuel:
We cannot pray while we hide our sin. Israel can never prevail so long as Achan is spared.
The way back to power is by the valley of humiliation. God is not mocked. We cannot hoodwink the Almighty. Every man knows the cause of his defeat. He needs no man to tell him what robs him of power and hinders his praying.
Let every man’s life be reviewed before God. Let God judge your business, your social ties, your family life, your motives, your affections, and your thoughts. He will put His finger on the secret cause of failure and disgrace. Lay bare the soul to His searching, cleansing fire, and when our life is sanctified in His will there will be an end of defeat.
Then we shall be more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
So what is it that is robbing you of your spiritual power?
Samuel Chadwick
Pastor/Author/Bible Teacher
We cannot pray while we hide our sin. Israel can never prevail so long as Achan is spared.
The way back to power is by the valley of humiliation. God is not mocked. We cannot hoodwink the Almighty. Every man knows the cause of his defeat. He needs no man to tell him what robs him of power and hinders his praying.
Let every man’s life be reviewed before God. Let God judge your business, your social ties, your family life, your motives, your affections, and your thoughts. He will put His finger on the secret cause of failure and disgrace. Lay bare the soul to His searching, cleansing fire, and when our life is sanctified in His will there will be an end of defeat.
Then we shall be more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
So what is it that is robbing you of your spiritual power?
Samuel Chadwick
Pastor/Author/Bible Teacher
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Psalm 56...
Psalm 56 (New International Version, ©2010)
1 Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll—
are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
This is my favorite chapter of the Bible. There was a period of time where I refused to preach. I got to the place where I got hives from the anxiety that came with getting up and preaching. I could not do it any more. I could not handle that no matter what I said or how I said it, someone had a problem with it. And it hurts when someone dehumanizes me enough to feel comfortable chewing me up in front of other people. I could not deal with the feeling of rejection. I could not endure one more negative comment from someone who had the spiritual maturity of a child. So, for 2 and a half years, I did not preach. Then I found Psalm 56....
...All day long they twist my words... my adversaries pursue me all day long... BUT I WILL TRUST IN THE LORD - WHAT CAN MORTAL MAN DO TO ME?
So, now I preach every week. And every Sunday, probably for the rest of my life, right before I preach I want to run. I do not want to own the responsibility of bringing the truth out of the Scripture. Because I know what is in store. It still eats at me. I still lose sleep. I still feel very insecure at times because I have people trying to twist what I say. And they often try to blame me for the work of the Spirit bringing conviction into their lives. While I am flattered that they would give me that much credit, there is nothing that I can say or do to bring conviction in anyone's life. That is solely the work of the Holy Spirit. And I just wish they would do the hard work with Him and not take out on me. But, I have not yet had that luxury.
I love the last section of this Psalm:
I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
So, honestly, I struggle. I would much rather have a job in the Kingdom where there was not so much controversy. I wold love to be the one who just encourages people and loves people. That would be so much easier than dealing with holding people accountable to the truth. I would sleep better. But that is not what the Lord has called me to. And because my life is not my own, I am under vows to God, I will fulfill my duty to the Lord with a joyful heart. And I am honored that He would use me at all. And because I trust that He is good and that He knows and wants my best life for me, I am willing to obey, even though I don't always understand how this is better. I guess that is at the heart of faith.
So with that being said, I am the Lord's to do with as He sees fit. And if He desires for me to be taken out of ministry, it is His to decide not mine. So, I am invincible until He is done with me. And on that day, He can take me home, move me, whatever He chooses. But until then, I will preach the truth - in love. And if the devil thinks that trying take me out is the best way to hurt the Kingdom, then he is welcome to try. Not that I am begging for a fight, but I have no choice in light of all that God has done for me other than to fight. "What can mortal man do to me?"
So I will continue to preach - hives and all!
May we all see the battle for what it is. And may each of us trust in the goodness of our God who stores up all our tears. May we cry deeply, love fully, and preach powerfully concerning the truth of the Scripture. And most of all, may we never allow mortal men to stop the work of God in our lives. See you on Sunday...
1 Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll—
are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
This is my favorite chapter of the Bible. There was a period of time where I refused to preach. I got to the place where I got hives from the anxiety that came with getting up and preaching. I could not do it any more. I could not handle that no matter what I said or how I said it, someone had a problem with it. And it hurts when someone dehumanizes me enough to feel comfortable chewing me up in front of other people. I could not deal with the feeling of rejection. I could not endure one more negative comment from someone who had the spiritual maturity of a child. So, for 2 and a half years, I did not preach. Then I found Psalm 56....
...All day long they twist my words... my adversaries pursue me all day long... BUT I WILL TRUST IN THE LORD - WHAT CAN MORTAL MAN DO TO ME?
So, now I preach every week. And every Sunday, probably for the rest of my life, right before I preach I want to run. I do not want to own the responsibility of bringing the truth out of the Scripture. Because I know what is in store. It still eats at me. I still lose sleep. I still feel very insecure at times because I have people trying to twist what I say. And they often try to blame me for the work of the Spirit bringing conviction into their lives. While I am flattered that they would give me that much credit, there is nothing that I can say or do to bring conviction in anyone's life. That is solely the work of the Holy Spirit. And I just wish they would do the hard work with Him and not take out on me. But, I have not yet had that luxury.
I love the last section of this Psalm:
I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
So, honestly, I struggle. I would much rather have a job in the Kingdom where there was not so much controversy. I wold love to be the one who just encourages people and loves people. That would be so much easier than dealing with holding people accountable to the truth. I would sleep better. But that is not what the Lord has called me to. And because my life is not my own, I am under vows to God, I will fulfill my duty to the Lord with a joyful heart. And I am honored that He would use me at all. And because I trust that He is good and that He knows and wants my best life for me, I am willing to obey, even though I don't always understand how this is better. I guess that is at the heart of faith.
So with that being said, I am the Lord's to do with as He sees fit. And if He desires for me to be taken out of ministry, it is His to decide not mine. So, I am invincible until He is done with me. And on that day, He can take me home, move me, whatever He chooses. But until then, I will preach the truth - in love. And if the devil thinks that trying take me out is the best way to hurt the Kingdom, then he is welcome to try. Not that I am begging for a fight, but I have no choice in light of all that God has done for me other than to fight. "What can mortal man do to me?"
So I will continue to preach - hives and all!
May we all see the battle for what it is. And may each of us trust in the goodness of our God who stores up all our tears. May we cry deeply, love fully, and preach powerfully concerning the truth of the Scripture. And most of all, may we never allow mortal men to stop the work of God in our lives. See you on Sunday...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Allowing anonymous comments...
So that you all know, I have enabled anonymous comments for the blog for those who want to join the discussion without giving out personal information. As long as that is not abused they will stay open. there are lots of blogs to be combative on. This is not one of them. So, feel free to post, but be nice!
Fasting...
From time to time, I choose to fast. And people often wonder why anyone would choose to go without food.
There are volumes written about what fasting is and what it does. Foster's the Celebration of Discipline is probably the most concise yet thorough work I have seen on it. I think that whole books labor the point, and short articles don't do it justice. So, in the spirit of not doing it justice, I have some thoughts on fasting that I would like to share.
First, religious practice is often misunderstood. We often try to leverage some religious practice to "obligate the gods" to something. So it is with prayer, singing, church attendance, and many other religious practices today. Fasting often falls into this category and so we fast to get what we want just like the prophets of Ba'al cutting themselves on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). And we get frustrated when it doesn't work. Here is the point: Religious practice is not a matter of obligating God to something. If that is our posture, it will fail. And we, like the Catholic church accepting indulgences during the Middle Ages face 2 horrible consequences:
First, it puts the church in the position of mediator between God and man. Our depending on religious practice to get to God allows the church to decide how we live out our relationship with God. Which is fine as long as the church is truly seeking the face of Jesus. But again,I would point to the Catholic church of the middle ages to prove that when any man run institution is given that kind of power in people's lives, it gets corrupted.
Second, We place God in a box that He has no obligation to uphold. And consequently, we paint a picture of God that is not true and leads people only to disappointment. And many people walk away from God, not because He is false, but because they were given or painted for themselves a picture of God that is simply not accurate. And no one stepped in to help bring understanding and hope.
The second major point I would like to make is that I believe that the point of all the disciplines is for me to conform my attitude, thoughts, and actions to His. Whether this practice is as "commonly talked about" as prayer and Bible reading, or it is as complex and avoided as simplicity, fasting, memorization, or solitude; each of these practices serve the purpose, not of obligating God, but more of bringing my life (body, mind and soul) in line with God's agenda - which is always right.
The last major point that I would make is that we all know the connection between food and our well being. We eat a big starchy lunch and struggle to stay awake for the rest of the afternoon. We eat really poorly for a few days and become lethargic and grouchy. We know that beyond what we think we look like, there is an emotional component to food. That is why many of us struggle to be emotional eaters, stress eaters, or why we crave certain foods in certain situations. The same effect is true with our spiritual well being.
Leviticus 10:8-10 (New International Version, ©2010)
8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Deuteronomy 29:5-6 (New International Version, ©2010)
5 Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.”
I am not arguing the ethics of alcohol consumption. I absolutely believe that in moderation, the world is ours. What I am arguing is that food and drink has an affect on us. Even in the Deuteronomy passage, they ate no bread, and drank no wine so that they would know that He is God. Think about it for a second, what are 2 of the most addictive food products? Carbs and Alcohol? Maybe there is something to this... maybe much more than we realize.
So, back to fasting... in my opinion, fasting is about me clearing my body of impurities that fog my mind and my spirit from seeing God - so that I can be aware of what He is doing. it does not obligate God to speak, nor does it obligate God to do what I want Him to do. But I also do not believe that God is trying to be illusive or hard to get to. We just have to do the right things in order to put ourselves in a position to see and to hear. So in fasting, I put myself in a position to hear, I am not forcing God into a position to speak. But then again, He has been speaking all along. if John 5 is true (and I believe it is), and God is always at His work, then my focus should be finding out what that work looks like so that I can join Him.
So with that in mind, I come to my conclusion. Fasting is a lost art and should be a common practice in our lives. It helps with our awareness of God and His work as well as helping with our overall well being and feeling better. More than that, it develops discipline and self control in us and that attribute shows up in all areas of our lives.
For me, things have seemed a little off lately. Nothing specific is wrong, but some unresolved, lingering issue hanging out there that I need some clarity on. I need to know God's perspective on these things. So, with that in mind, I think that I will spend some time fasting.
So may you seek the Lord's face with all that you are - mind, body, and soul. May you be fully awake to God's direction in your life. And may you be willing to lay all things down for His sake and in pursuit of God's wisdom and direction for your life. It is more than you could ever think or imagine! Ephesians 3:20-21
There are volumes written about what fasting is and what it does. Foster's the Celebration of Discipline is probably the most concise yet thorough work I have seen on it. I think that whole books labor the point, and short articles don't do it justice. So, in the spirit of not doing it justice, I have some thoughts on fasting that I would like to share.
First, religious practice is often misunderstood. We often try to leverage some religious practice to "obligate the gods" to something. So it is with prayer, singing, church attendance, and many other religious practices today. Fasting often falls into this category and so we fast to get what we want just like the prophets of Ba'al cutting themselves on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). And we get frustrated when it doesn't work. Here is the point: Religious practice is not a matter of obligating God to something. If that is our posture, it will fail. And we, like the Catholic church accepting indulgences during the Middle Ages face 2 horrible consequences:
First, it puts the church in the position of mediator between God and man. Our depending on religious practice to get to God allows the church to decide how we live out our relationship with God. Which is fine as long as the church is truly seeking the face of Jesus. But again,I would point to the Catholic church of the middle ages to prove that when any man run institution is given that kind of power in people's lives, it gets corrupted.
Second, We place God in a box that He has no obligation to uphold. And consequently, we paint a picture of God that is not true and leads people only to disappointment. And many people walk away from God, not because He is false, but because they were given or painted for themselves a picture of God that is simply not accurate. And no one stepped in to help bring understanding and hope.
The second major point I would like to make is that I believe that the point of all the disciplines is for me to conform my attitude, thoughts, and actions to His. Whether this practice is as "commonly talked about" as prayer and Bible reading, or it is as complex and avoided as simplicity, fasting, memorization, or solitude; each of these practices serve the purpose, not of obligating God, but more of bringing my life (body, mind and soul) in line with God's agenda - which is always right.
The last major point that I would make is that we all know the connection between food and our well being. We eat a big starchy lunch and struggle to stay awake for the rest of the afternoon. We eat really poorly for a few days and become lethargic and grouchy. We know that beyond what we think we look like, there is an emotional component to food. That is why many of us struggle to be emotional eaters, stress eaters, or why we crave certain foods in certain situations. The same effect is true with our spiritual well being.
Leviticus 10:8-10 (New International Version, ©2010)
8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Deuteronomy 29:5-6 (New International Version, ©2010)
5 Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.”
I am not arguing the ethics of alcohol consumption. I absolutely believe that in moderation, the world is ours. What I am arguing is that food and drink has an affect on us. Even in the Deuteronomy passage, they ate no bread, and drank no wine so that they would know that He is God. Think about it for a second, what are 2 of the most addictive food products? Carbs and Alcohol? Maybe there is something to this... maybe much more than we realize.
So, back to fasting... in my opinion, fasting is about me clearing my body of impurities that fog my mind and my spirit from seeing God - so that I can be aware of what He is doing. it does not obligate God to speak, nor does it obligate God to do what I want Him to do. But I also do not believe that God is trying to be illusive or hard to get to. We just have to do the right things in order to put ourselves in a position to see and to hear. So in fasting, I put myself in a position to hear, I am not forcing God into a position to speak. But then again, He has been speaking all along. if John 5 is true (and I believe it is), and God is always at His work, then my focus should be finding out what that work looks like so that I can join Him.
So with that in mind, I come to my conclusion. Fasting is a lost art and should be a common practice in our lives. It helps with our awareness of God and His work as well as helping with our overall well being and feeling better. More than that, it develops discipline and self control in us and that attribute shows up in all areas of our lives.
For me, things have seemed a little off lately. Nothing specific is wrong, but some unresolved, lingering issue hanging out there that I need some clarity on. I need to know God's perspective on these things. So, with that in mind, I think that I will spend some time fasting.
So may you seek the Lord's face with all that you are - mind, body, and soul. May you be fully awake to God's direction in your life. And may you be willing to lay all things down for His sake and in pursuit of God's wisdom and direction for your life. It is more than you could ever think or imagine! Ephesians 3:20-21
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Why do I follow God?
"Do you feel loved by God because you believe He makes much of you, or because you believe He frees you and empowers you to enjoy making much of Him?”
Is God a means to an end - or is it your goal to cherish Him above all?
John Piper
Pastor/ Bible Teacher
This is a great thought. Why do I follow God? Wrestling with God's goodness has some consistent results. Those results show up in different ways in our lives, but the motivations are always the same. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 says that the Macedonian churches were in extreme poverty and severe trial and it welled up in them as rich generosity because they gave themselves first to the Lord.
Most in today's church would be mad at God and leave because God didn't take their bad life away. I cannot say that I wish to be placed in that situation or that I would long to have extreme poverty or severe trials. But I do want to have my life well up in rich generosity. What do you want to be said of you? Do you want God to dote on you or are you so blessed that in the scope of the universe, God looks down and notices you? This was David's dilemma in Psalm 8 - What is man that You are mindful of him? And we see the results in David's life of a man that didn't overestimate his own importance in the universe or in God's eyes. Read 2 Samuel 9 and 2 Samuel 24 the stories are both great examples of David being gracious to others.
I believe with all of my heart that his ability to do that came directly from his heart's posture before God. David didn't over estimate his own importance. Therefore, he was willing to pay the price to worship God through his actions. Oh, that we would love God that way.
May we see our position in the universe as it truly is. And may we realize that that position magnifies the love of God for us. And that it should translate into how we give to and treat others. May we be known as a generous people - rich in good deeds (1 Timothy 6)
Is God a means to an end - or is it your goal to cherish Him above all?
John Piper
Pastor/ Bible Teacher
This is a great thought. Why do I follow God? Wrestling with God's goodness has some consistent results. Those results show up in different ways in our lives, but the motivations are always the same. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 says that the Macedonian churches were in extreme poverty and severe trial and it welled up in them as rich generosity because they gave themselves first to the Lord.
Most in today's church would be mad at God and leave because God didn't take their bad life away. I cannot say that I wish to be placed in that situation or that I would long to have extreme poverty or severe trials. But I do want to have my life well up in rich generosity. What do you want to be said of you? Do you want God to dote on you or are you so blessed that in the scope of the universe, God looks down and notices you? This was David's dilemma in Psalm 8 - What is man that You are mindful of him? And we see the results in David's life of a man that didn't overestimate his own importance in the universe or in God's eyes. Read 2 Samuel 9 and 2 Samuel 24 the stories are both great examples of David being gracious to others.
I believe with all of my heart that his ability to do that came directly from his heart's posture before God. David didn't over estimate his own importance. Therefore, he was willing to pay the price to worship God through his actions. Oh, that we would love God that way.
May we see our position in the universe as it truly is. And may we realize that that position magnifies the love of God for us. And that it should translate into how we give to and treat others. May we be known as a generous people - rich in good deeds (1 Timothy 6)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Security...
Proverbs 3:5,6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths
So, I memorized these couple of verses when I was a little kid in vacation Bible school. Since then, I have been subject to multiple renderings of this verse and this morning the Holy Spirit hit me with another one...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: God will show you how to think when He is ready for you to think it. We don't need to cook up great logic or new ideas, God gives us access to the information we need at the right time.
In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths: When we do everything that we do for His purposes and His glory, He directs us in the direction that we should go.
Nothing revolutionary yet, but since this month we are talking about money at the church, this is where it got interesting. Like everyone else, I am terribly curious about the condition of our economy and the future prosperity of our nation. What are things going to look like for my kids? Or even for us in a few years? It is enough to make many people very afraid and they begin to wonder where God is in all this as if somehow God demonstrates His love for us in the ability to have things...
Here is my personal revelation: Many Christians love the first phrase of the verse - Trust in the Lord with all your heart... And because we don't care about money or we don't know about money and we don't want to educate ourselves, we choose to leverage that statement to stick our head in the sand. But we forget the last part of the passage - And He will direct your paths...
So, the point is this, God is not out of control in this scary economic time. And He is not surprised at it all. And He will show each of us what we are to do as we navigate this new economy. God will provide. But we have to be willing to follow what He says. Don't think that by saying, "I will just trust the Lord," that you have done your economic homework. God will direct our paths - but we have to be willing to walk on them.
God's principles for money are still true, and we should still manage our money the way God says to. The fear that comes during times like this are a direct reflection of where we get our security from. As the Psalms say, "Some trust in chariots, some in horses, we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (20:7)
So, may your security always come from the promises of God. May you be a shining beacon of holding to God's money stewardship principles. And may He richly bless your efforts as you walk down the paths that He lays out before you.
So, I memorized these couple of verses when I was a little kid in vacation Bible school. Since then, I have been subject to multiple renderings of this verse and this morning the Holy Spirit hit me with another one...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: God will show you how to think when He is ready for you to think it. We don't need to cook up great logic or new ideas, God gives us access to the information we need at the right time.
In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths: When we do everything that we do for His purposes and His glory, He directs us in the direction that we should go.
Nothing revolutionary yet, but since this month we are talking about money at the church, this is where it got interesting. Like everyone else, I am terribly curious about the condition of our economy and the future prosperity of our nation. What are things going to look like for my kids? Or even for us in a few years? It is enough to make many people very afraid and they begin to wonder where God is in all this as if somehow God demonstrates His love for us in the ability to have things...
Here is my personal revelation: Many Christians love the first phrase of the verse - Trust in the Lord with all your heart... And because we don't care about money or we don't know about money and we don't want to educate ourselves, we choose to leverage that statement to stick our head in the sand. But we forget the last part of the passage - And He will direct your paths...
So, the point is this, God is not out of control in this scary economic time. And He is not surprised at it all. And He will show each of us what we are to do as we navigate this new economy. God will provide. But we have to be willing to follow what He says. Don't think that by saying, "I will just trust the Lord," that you have done your economic homework. God will direct our paths - but we have to be willing to walk on them.
God's principles for money are still true, and we should still manage our money the way God says to. The fear that comes during times like this are a direct reflection of where we get our security from. As the Psalms say, "Some trust in chariots, some in horses, we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (20:7)
So, may your security always come from the promises of God. May you be a shining beacon of holding to God's money stewardship principles. And may He richly bless your efforts as you walk down the paths that He lays out before you.
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