Hello, my name is Chele and I'm a news addict. I mean, I will read news stories that have such a stupid sounding headline just to find out if it is as stupid as it sounds. I can quote obscure news stories from other countries and even try to make them relevant to everyday life. I have it bad. So, when my husband John pointed out God's orders on getting through these times, well, I was less than unenthusiastic.
Isaiah 33 (New International Version)
14 The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling grips the godless:
"Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"
15 He who walks righteously
and speaks what is right,
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-
16 this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail him.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
and view a land that stretches afar.
You see from above, the righteous man doesn't pay attention to what is going on around him. He keeps his eyes on God, the great provider. If God is mighty enough to form the earth, He's great enough to let me know what I need to know. Concentrating on the problem and not the solution never fixes anything.
I can't say that I haven't seen any headlines or heard anything over the radio or TV. But now I am quick to turn those things off. I find that the world is a much more peaceful place now that I have my vision of it correct. I say this with almost a week of no news under my belt. Ask me in a month how I feel. lol Right now, I have to keep my eyes on the goal of the whole news fast.
Isaiah 33 goes on to end with
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
"Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"
19 You will see those arrogant people no more,
those people of an obscure speech,
with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the LORD will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship will sail them.
22 For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
it is he who will save us.
23 Your rigging hangs loose:
The mast is not held secure,
the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
and even the lame will carry off plunder.
24 No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill";
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.
When you take your eyes off the world's circumstances and put them on God, your whole perspective changes. When your perspective changes, your circumstances change. You may still have the same mess, but God's hand is on it and not yours. In verses 18-19, God tells us that you don't see any of the problem. You don't see the chief officer and his shenanigans. You don't see arrogant people or get confused from their double talk. Instead, in verses 20-22, you see the never changing, always holy Zion - the city of God. It is immovable. God saves us, not the news or the people in it. God is faithful and immovable, and will save from all problems. Verses 23-24 says even the lame - the handicapped and fallible (that would be us) - will carry off plunder and have our sins forgiven. The lowest of us can have our sins forgiven and God's solutions for our problems if we just look at Him.
This is a hard post for me. I really want to turn on the news, read the news, listen to the news. But I know that I need to not even let anyone tell me about the news unless it is something God wants me to know. My eyes are to be on Him. His Word can't get any more clear on that. Does that mean that a news fast is the right thing for everyone? I can't say that. Only you can listen to God for your own life. Seek His instruction in this. He may not have that in His plans for you right now. I know I was out of control with the news. I know that my reliance is to be on Him, and not anywhere else. God always blesses faithfulness to His Word. Does that mean we'll have lots of riches and material things? I don't know, but I just want the peace and joy that comes from following Him. The rest will come to us whenever (if ever) it does. I do know that God promises
Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 (New International Version)
1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
If you want shouting and rejoicing, read the rest of the chapter. WAHOOOO!!!!! God is our provider, comforter, and security.
Showing posts with label God's provision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's provision. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Recession, Depression, Brother Can You Spare a Dime
Google the phrase "Is the United States in a Recession" and you will get approximately 22million results. Chances are if you haven't been touched by the economic downturn the world seems to be going through, you at least know someone who has. Big name companies seem to be taking daily turns announcing bad news and losses. The government has begun "bailing out" corporations that are deemed too important to fail. Banks are being "nationalized" and money is being handed out with very little accountability.
Families are feeling the pinch. Groceries are climbing in price. The cost of heating a home is ridiculous! Clothing, toiletries, and everything else are costing more and more and more. This at at time when many families are losing the value in their homes and/or losing their incomes. What are we to do?! Listening to the news makes us feel like Chicken Little - the sky is falling, the sky is falling! It reminds me of the Depression Era song - Brother Can You Spare a Dime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU
The lyrics are
"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Stop. Take a deep breathe. Close your eyes for a minute. Hit the pause button on the panic. Let me help you find the solution. It is right there in front of you. It may not be what you want to hear, but it works every time.
There is a Provider who can give you all you need. He is able to do all things exceedingly abundantly. If God can provide us with salvation and life everlasting, can He not provide us with every earthly need? I'm not saying that we will have manna from Heaven every day like the Israelites in the desert, but we are provided with God's strength and will to sustain us through these times.
1 Peter 4:7-11 (New International Version)
7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
We are to use our God given gifts to be a blessing to serve others. Could you imagine what would happen if we all started using a servant mentality instead of a "serve me" mentality? Putting others first, and glorifying God, would have prevented most of what we are going through now. But, we know the truth. The Bible foretold a time when man would be self-consumed and lose its love of God. We have the promise of life everlasting if we know Christ. I know it won't be fun, easy or desirable to go through the rough times we are going through, but we have an advantage to going through these times. We have a secret weapon, if you will.
Philippians 4:12-14 (Amplified Bible)
12I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.
13I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].
14But it was right and commendable and noble of you to contribute for my needs and to share my difficulties with me.
Christ will see us through all of this. We need to lean on Him.
Now, there is a practical side to living through these times too. We need to learn practical arts that provide for day to day needs. We need to reduce debts and increase self sufficiency. The average family in the United States has around $8000 in credit card debt. Add to that the mortgages and car notes, and you see why we have such problems. No, spending our way out of it as a country isn't going to work. Neither is charging every day necessities, or still trying to keep up with the Jones'.
The difference between now and the Great Depression is our work ethic as a country. During the Great Depression, most people were willing to work, no matter what the job was, to provide for their families. Now, it seems that the majority (or very vocal minority) is looking for a hand out or "bail out" to get through these times. That's neither Biblical nor practical. Eventually, the country will have to pay back all the money that they are handing out so freely now.
Personally, I'm standing on the promises of God.
Deuteronomy 28 (Amplified Bible)
Deuteronomy 28 1IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
2And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
3Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.
4Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock.
5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough.
6Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
9The Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.
10And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.
11And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.
14And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Over the next few months, I'll be sharing my family's journey into greater self-sufficiency as far as growing our own food, and making many things we use. I'll also be sharing my family's journey into great dependency on God. He is the only thing that will get us through, and we trust completely in Him and His leading.
Families are feeling the pinch. Groceries are climbing in price. The cost of heating a home is ridiculous! Clothing, toiletries, and everything else are costing more and more and more. This at at time when many families are losing the value in their homes and/or losing their incomes. What are we to do?! Listening to the news makes us feel like Chicken Little - the sky is falling, the sky is falling! It reminds me of the Depression Era song - Brother Can You Spare a Dime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU
The lyrics are
"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Stop. Take a deep breathe. Close your eyes for a minute. Hit the pause button on the panic. Let me help you find the solution. It is right there in front of you. It may not be what you want to hear, but it works every time.
There is a Provider who can give you all you need. He is able to do all things exceedingly abundantly. If God can provide us with salvation and life everlasting, can He not provide us with every earthly need? I'm not saying that we will have manna from Heaven every day like the Israelites in the desert, but we are provided with God's strength and will to sustain us through these times.
1 Peter 4:7-11 (New International Version)
7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
We are to use our God given gifts to be a blessing to serve others. Could you imagine what would happen if we all started using a servant mentality instead of a "serve me" mentality? Putting others first, and glorifying God, would have prevented most of what we are going through now. But, we know the truth. The Bible foretold a time when man would be self-consumed and lose its love of God. We have the promise of life everlasting if we know Christ. I know it won't be fun, easy or desirable to go through the rough times we are going through, but we have an advantage to going through these times. We have a secret weapon, if you will.
Philippians 4:12-14 (Amplified Bible)
12I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.
13I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].
14But it was right and commendable and noble of you to contribute for my needs and to share my difficulties with me.
Christ will see us through all of this. We need to lean on Him.
Now, there is a practical side to living through these times too. We need to learn practical arts that provide for day to day needs. We need to reduce debts and increase self sufficiency. The average family in the United States has around $8000 in credit card debt. Add to that the mortgages and car notes, and you see why we have such problems. No, spending our way out of it as a country isn't going to work. Neither is charging every day necessities, or still trying to keep up with the Jones'.
The difference between now and the Great Depression is our work ethic as a country. During the Great Depression, most people were willing to work, no matter what the job was, to provide for their families. Now, it seems that the majority (or very vocal minority) is looking for a hand out or "bail out" to get through these times. That's neither Biblical nor practical. Eventually, the country will have to pay back all the money that they are handing out so freely now.
Personally, I'm standing on the promises of God.
Deuteronomy 28 (Amplified Bible)
Deuteronomy 28 1IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
2And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
3Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.
4Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock.
5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough.
6Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
9The Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.
10And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.
11And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.
14And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Over the next few months, I'll be sharing my family's journey into greater self-sufficiency as far as growing our own food, and making many things we use. I'll also be sharing my family's journey into great dependency on God. He is the only thing that will get us through, and we trust completely in Him and His leading.
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