Recession

Recession, gas prices, flooding, tornados, Iraq war, negative political ads. We are bombarded daily with negative news. The coffee shops and hair salons are filled with the daily gossip and an increase in "gloom and doom" talk.

Are these difficult days? Sure. $3.50 gasoline, $4 per gallon milk, etc. Is this going to improve soon? Who knows? Are we helpless in these days? NO! I believe it will take exceptional faith to live victoriously in these last days. The great news is that faith is available for every Christ follower.

Galatians 3:6 - 9 (NLT), "In the same way, 'Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.' The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith."

Abraham believed God's word to him. As a result, he became the father of the Jewish nation. He bacame very rich and famous. All of the was the result of his faith in what God said. We have the same opportunity. Yet, not every day was stress free for Abraham. As soon as he took off on his journey of faith, it led him staight into a famine. Genesis 12:10 (NLT), "At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner."

Famine is a temporary, negative circumstance, which is subject to change. Famine is found 90 times in the Bible. Famine is something we will all face in life. Following the Word of the Lord, Abraham travels right into the middle of a famine. As you walk by faith (obedience to the Word of the Lord), you my travel right into the midst of a famine. The famine affected Abram. He had to make a temporary adjustment. Temporary adjustments do not change your ultimate outcome. Famine may require cut backs. If my family is not eating, I’ll do whatever I have to do. Unless God speaks, you must do what you know to do. If your faith does not work in a famine, you need to develop what Paul referred to as "genuine faith" in 2 Timothy 1:5.

Famine (recession) will reveal what a person trusts in. Psalms 37:18 - 19 (NLT), "Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough." We can put our trust in the economy or put our trust in the Lord.

Peace,

Stan