Like many Americans, almost all of my life I have carried coins in my pocket. These small pieces of metal make a statement about trust. No, it's not trust in a bank or in what else lies in our pockets! For our readers who may not know or have forgotten, the statement engraved on American coins is just four simple words with profound ramifications, "In God We Trust."
Of course, the economic crisis is affecting nations around the world, not just the United States. Perhaps more than ever, at least in my lifetime, we are being dynamically challenged to turn our attention from what lies in our pockets to what lies in our hearts regarding the source of our ultimate provisions.
Long ago, the firebrand of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine, spoke of the times that he lived in as "the times that try men's souls." While Paine was talking about 1775, his words are still true today!
Time to talk!
Many of us see our financial retirement portfolios evaporating. Others are experiencing a job loss or a cutback in hours. Those on fixed incomes are trying to stretch their pennies yet further, but there may be nothing left to stretch or squeeze. These are amazing times in which we live! It is time to talk! And frankly there is nothing better to talk about than God's promises of a stable mooring in unsettled times.
Long ago, God offered certain promises to a people if they would honor Him and place Him first in their minds and hearts.
He told the newly established nation of Israel, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you in be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country" (Deuteronomy 28:1-3).
