God's Bailout Plan
by Pastor Matthew E. Walker, 16 October 2008
These are hard economic times. One home owner
in six is “upside down” on his mortgage. That means
he owes more for his house than it is actually worth. The manufacturing
sector of our economy has been decimated over the past twenty-five
years. Companies that have been around for many decades are facing
extinction. Families are making hard decisions about “bread
and butter” issues. Many are facing a mountain of debt.
At the same time governmental leaders are promising
rescue. Within a few days the President and Congress bailed out
the financial industry and recently purchased stock in major US
banks hoping to solve the credit mess. Both major party candidates
for president, John McCain and Barak Obama, have developed solutions
for the crisis.
But what if God caused the economic downturn?
With all of the speechmaking in the past month
very little has been said about God as if He either does not exist
or is incapable of helping. Certainly no one has seriously suggested
publicly that God might be the source of the economic trouble.
Yet the Bible is full of examples of God’s hand in economic
trouble. Think about these two examples. When Joseph was languishing
in an Egyptian dungeon God was preparing a horrible drought that
would bring widespread famine much worse than anything being experienced
today in America. When Elijah was facing the prophets of Baal
at Carmel near the Mediterranean coast it had not rained in Israel
for over three years. As difficult as it was for those who lived
during those times it still is nothing compared to the Great Flood.
Now these examples are not meant to show that
God enjoys human suffering. But they are examples of how God brings
about humans suffering and historically, in ways we cannot comprehend
today. Moreover, they show that when God is involved, the suffering
has a purpose. The famine in Elijah’s day was used by God
to drive His people back to Himself. Perhaps that is the real
answer here.
Ian Paisley, longtime pastor in Northern Ireland
and member of the British House of Commons, recently went before
his fellow leaders in the UK and declared that this economic crisis
was a clarion call to repentance for sin and a turning back toward
God. Paisley has it right from the source.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land.
The solution to our economic crisis is not billions
of tax dollars given away to keep industries solvent. The solution
is a national revival because God’s bailout plan does not
require money but humility.
Beginning in January 2009 our church will be
turning our attention to the subject “Worth More Than Gold.”
For three months our Sunday morning services will be examining
the things that God says have more value than money. You are encouraged
to join us every Sunday morning or you can listen to the sermons
right here at our website. Our prayer is that the result should
be that we become the richest church in town—rich toward
God. |
