A Call for Prayer for this Nation-Day Fifteen
I woke up this morning to news that foreclosures in California are up 228%. I then read that the yen is now the strongest currency in the world, outflanking the dollar, the pound, and the Swiss franc. In an article from a financial guru I learned that Sharia banking is infiltrating Western banking institutions, including a mega American bank, where consultants are on hand to advise in the proper application of Sharia banking laws. I guess to sum up, it appears that the part of the world considered the western part of the globe, in terms of religion, culture, social and financial philosophies and practices, is in the tank, or at least in mid dive? Will I have to give up my Lee jeans and Levis? Aint going to happen!
I could go into a tirade about all of the things that our "leaders" in business and politics have screwed up, going all the way back to when families were forced into having to need to live on two paychecks if they want to barely survive, because their pockets were being picked by their own "leaders." I just misspoke. I used the wrong tense for a verb. I used "were' to indicate past tense. I should have used "are" to indicate that the "voluntary removal of money from pockets and/or wallets," is an ongoing and will be an eternal practice, which not even death can end. A person could be dead, but that person's estate lives on, and there is a politician's bridge to nowhere which needs "public" financing.
Business and political leaders carry a good portion of the blame for our situation, but "we the people," are not entirely blameless. We have allowed ourselves to be blinded by the gleaming Crest smiles, and the glib verbiage of many of those we "follow." Surely someone whose words sound so good, coming through a sparking set of choppers is telling the truth, isn't he? We have also allowed ourselves to be convinced that we need more "stuff." I am as guilty as the next person. We have allowed ourselves to tolerate behavior that up to fifty years or so ago, would have been unthinkable. We have allowed God to be pushed further and further into the background, because we do not want to "offend." Offend God. That is acceptable.
If I chose to, I could also go on about our pockets being picked, and then to give the impression that someone cares, we get a "stimulus" dangled in front of us. Yeah, there is talk of a second stimulus as most of us, not being entirely fools, have closed our wallets to a number of what used to be "must haves," and businesses are suffering. Some of our wallets are in such a comatose state, that not even a Starbucks quadruple expresso could revive them! Some of our wallets have become so rebellious that a paltry $300 stimulus is not going to rein in the rebellion!
Richard Young @ Investorsplace.com spoke about the bailout package that just passed, in terms of: "A system that isn't allowed to fail, doesn't offer security. It offers the bureaucrat's dream: all tunnel and no light." We appear to be in our "all tunnel" phase. However, there is a Light that we can all find. We just have to follow the signs.
Speaking of that Light, I am going to leave the talk about man-made disasters behind, and focus on the things of God, throwing myself on His mercy, and asking Him for the sake of His people, to restore order in His world, especially in the US. Let me be clear. I am not asking God to suddenly make us all rich....in material "stuff." My desire is that He gives us wisdom to clearly see that with Him "all things are possible," the operative word being "with." We have to return to the reality that without God, suffering appears to be magnified in scope and duration, when we do not have His comfort to see us through. Leaning on God does not exempt us from suffering the trials and tribulations of this world, but holding onto our belief in Him, enables us to face such trials with grace and equanimity. I am becoming the poster child of my own words.
For today's Scriptures, I will share three passages that were forwarded to me by a reader of one of my posts on this call for prayer.
Isaiah 52:7
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Isaiah 40:31
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Thank you Joan T. (and Maurice, probably looking down on you from Heaven). Handel's Messiah, in my opinon, the single most beautiful and ethereal musical ode to God, floated into my mind as I typed that first passage from the Book of Isaiah, from those three Biblical passages that you sent to me.4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
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