Tag Archives: Financial Crisis

Feb11

Fourth and Long

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“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life ~

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

Matthew 6:25a; 27 (NIV 2010)

 

Sometimes it’s difficult NOT to worry. Lately I’ve been experiencing a period of troubling upheaval in my everyday life, but the above verses are telling me I should not be worried. My husband was recently diagnosed with a debilitating health condition which causes me to worry about his health, his care and treatment, our family’s future, our financial stability, the future for my three sons…and myself. Everything I once thought was “solid” is now crumbling right before my eyes.

Our MVP has been Sidelined

My husband has always been the “captain” of our family’s “team.” In essence, I feel that our MVP has been sidelined from the game of life, and I’m like a rookie being called in on 4th and long…and we’re not going to punt. Now it’s up to me to play the position of quarterback and lead our team to a victorious future. The clock is ticking, with little time left, and I must spring into action. The team is counting on me, and the outcome rests solely upon my shoulders.

Doubt and Fear Rumble Through My Mind

I run to the huddle and see the faces of my “teammates” looking at me with hopeful anticipation. They are waiting for the next play call. From the bench, my husband is counting on me to pull us through. My team is depending upon me to execute the next play with skillful precision. For a moment, I am frozen with fear thinking about the magnitude of the responsibility I face. I hear jeers of self-doubt resounding in my ears. As I lower my head in the huddle, the “what-if’s” spin through my mind. What if I fail? What if I throw an interception? What if I am sacked in the backfield? What if I make a wrong decision? What if I let everyone down? I begin to I question my abilities. I lack confidence in my preparation for this position, and I even begin to question my “Heavenly Head Coach” for putting an inexperienced quarterback into life’s game at such a crucial point. I certainly don’t want to “choke” with this enormous assignment.

I hear the Voice of my Heavenly “Head Coach”

I lift my eyes to find the Coach and listen for His play call. Above the roar of the “noise” in my head, I hear His gentle voice, providing me with insight. I have studied His Play Book. I trust His infinite wisdom to show me how to lead my team in the best possible way. His eyes are upon my every move, and He has known all along that He was preparing me to play this critical position. I know He has equipped me completely to assume this role.

“…And who knows but that you have come to your position

for such a time as this?” Esther 4: 14

I feel weak with fear and anxiety, but I realize that I don’t have to rely on my own power, wisdom, capabilities, resources or protection, because He promises to be all of these for me. He is my strength when I am weak, and He will infuse me with Heavenly wisdom when I have none. He tells me NOT to worry. I simply must trust in Him, obey His commands, and He will supply my every need.

I accept His instruction and call the next play for my team. I will trust Him implicitly for the outcome. My worries are replaced with inner calm and quiet confidence about the fact that the Coach knows what’s best for each one of His players. He doesn’t make mistakes. We break the huddle and the clock starts ticking…

Hut 1!, Hut 2!, Hut! , Hut! , Hut!!!….


Feb5

Broken Pottery…

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Broken Pottery…


“…I have become like broken pottery.”

Psalm 31:12 (NIV)

Giant tears welled in my eyes and spilled onto the crisp pages of my Bible as I read the verse above in my early morning quiet time. Those six words resonated deep within my soul and flooded my broken heart as I envisioned myself like a broken clay vessel, shattered and useless for its intended purpose. The psalmist is describing himself in a time of extreme anguish and despair, the same way I was feeling at the moment I read those powerful words.

How did I “become” like broken pottery? Financial crisis, marital strife, parenting issues, illness, and the death of my beloved father-in-law brought me to the point where I felt as though I had been dropped from the edge of a cliff and shattered on jagged rocks below. You see I can’t point my finger to any one of those major difficulties as being the final blow to my clay vessel. However, all combined, they had taken a toll on my life and its usefulness to my heavenly Father.

We all feel a sense of brokenness at different times in our lives. During a period of illness or disease, we experience a form of physical brokenness. When my body is not functioning at 100% capacity, I feel frustrated and worthless. I normally go full speed ahead, managing my marriage, my three sons, our home, and my part-time job with ease. But when I’m debilitated due to sickness, I become discouraged, feeling defeated and nonproductive. I become discouraged that I’m unable to keep our lives and calendars running smoothly. In essence, I’m rendered ineffective in my daily walk of ministry in my home to my husband and sons.

Brokenness also occurs during a season of heartache and anguish. This can occur during a period of sadness over the loss of a loved one. Mourning can be debilitating and consume us to the point that we can only focus on our loss, leaving room for nothing more. Struggles or failures in a relationship or marriage can also lead to a feeling of heart break, leaving us emotionally wounded and dysfunctional. At times we are heartbroken for our children. Perhaps they have strayed off the path, and we are sad and bewildered about their misguided direction. Or perhaps they are being bullied, harassed or ostracized by their peers, and we feel angst over their torment. While there are many different sources for heartbreak in our lives, they all produce the same type of outcome, causing us to become broken and limited in our usefulness and productivity.

We feel a sense of mental brokenness during times of extreme stress. Financial worries or job security can burden us to the point that we shut down. The loss of a job or the downturn of the economy can bring us to a point where we don’t know where to turn for our next paycheck. Debt can be overwhelming and worrying about paying the stack of bills on your kitchen counter can bring your life to a halt. When every trip to the mailbox or every ring of the phone brings a sense of dread, our thoughts are consumed with one focus…what we don’t have in our bank account. We are useless in all other areas of our lives.

Thankfully, we know a Savior who can take the broken pieces of our lives and transform them into malleable clay, reshaping us into useful vessels once again, with His grand and glorious purpose in mind. He can shine the grace of His warm, healing presence into our being and mend the broken areas of our heart, mind, body and soul. He alone can transform, renew and refresh us. In reality, we are more receptive to our Lord when we are in a state of brokenness because He can mold us in areas where we might have been resistant before. At those times we let go of the pride that falsely binds our lives together, and we realize that we can’t repair our broken lives on our own. We must look to God for His merciful healing.

Cry out to your Heavenly Father, asking Him to pick up the shattered pieces of your life and place all your cares in the palms of the Master Craftsman. Allow the compassionate hands of the Almighty Potter to heal your brokenness and shape your life into a beautiful vessel, useful and glorifying to Him.

Isaiah 64:8 (New International Version)

8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
       We are the clay, you are the potter;
       we are all the work of your hand.

Dear Heavenly Father, Yes, I am the work of your hands. Heal the broken areas of my vessel, and transform me into a beautiful form of pottery, effective and useful for your purposes. May the ministry of my life bring glory to you always.

In the precious name of Jesus (your Son who was broken for me) I pray, Amen.

Feb2

Anchor for your Soul

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“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” Hebrews 6:19

 

Do you ever feel as though life’s circumstances are engulfing you like a powerful rip tide, pulling you into a tumultuous sea of despair? You are powerless to the force of the current, and the more you fight against the flow of events, the weaker you become. When life is seemingly out of your control or when events take a sharp, unexpected turn, remember that by placing your hope in our Heavenly Father, He will be the immovable anchor for your soul. His promises are unchanging and true. His love is unfailing. His strength is limitless. Regardless of what you are going through, you will be secure in His grasp. Just as a ship anchor holds firmly to the seabed, our hope is firm and secure when our souls are anchored in God.

Dec28

Rest for the Weary

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

 

Are you carrying a burden that seems to heavy to bear?  Do you need “rest” in your life?  The above verse offers hope to weary travelers in life.  Your burden may be financial, health, relational or work related, but in any case, you can find rest in the arms of Jesus Christ.  At this moment you may feel worn out in strength, energy or zest for life because of a battle you are facing alone.  You may be exhausted and all your pleasure may be drained.  You can find peace in the midst of your troubles by praying to Christ and laying your encumbrances at His feet.  He may not remove the trials from your life, but He will give you strength to face each moment, and He can provide a refuge from the storm which is raging all around you. 

His peace is the only true rest we will ever know.  With Him, you are never alone in this life.  Seek Him today…

Oct18

Victory in the Valleys

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“Fall Overlook in Dillard Valley”

by cBrown.Cooksey

Victory in the Valleys

By cbcooksey

“The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord’.” 1 Kings 20:28 NIV

I recently came across this verse in my morning devotional. I have read the passage before, but I must have skimmed right over it, missing the beautiful nugget of truth embedded within. Like the Arameans, we sometimes forget that our God is not only the God of our Mountaintop experiences, but also our Valley-low experiences as well. The story in 1 Kings recounts a great victory in battle by Israel’s tiny army, 7000 men, against the vast Aramean army. God gave Israel the victory in that battle, which was fought in a valley, and the casualties for the Arameans numbered over 125,000. The Lord wanted all to know that He not only is God of the hills, but also God of the valleys. God was glorified through this “victory in the valley.”

At times we find ourselves in a “valley of life,” and it is easy to lose sight of the fact that God is right there with us, fighting our battles for us. Presently, we are in a type of economic valley. The current global recession is a deep dip in our business cycle. We all feel the pain of the slump in our economy, and each one of us has felt some degree of financial discomfort as a result. Yet through this precarious monetary situation, we must learn to place our trust in our Heavenly Father instead of our bank accounts or retirement funds. In Deuteronomy 8:17-18, we are reminded, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to
produce wealth…” And despite the downward slide of the stock market on Wall Street or the downturn of real estate values, we can hold fast to His promises. “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6) God is the Lord of the highs and the lows of the financial markets.

Another type of low point some may experience is an emotional valley. By definition, a valley is also known as a depression, which is a widely diagnosed condition in our society. Those who suffer from this prolonged state of emotional dejection, sadness and withdrawal must realize that God is right there with them in their hopelessness. His word speaks life and hope into the depths of their despair and promises that “…there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress…The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:1 -2) God’s love can shine brilliant light into the deepest caverns of your heart and soul. God is the Lord of the highs and the lows of our emotional state.

An illness is a type of physical valley that we all suffer through at times. Some illnesses take us to greater depths than others. While our bodies wage war with the invading infection or disease, we must remember that God is with us through every step of the process. In our weakened condition, His word gives us encouragement, “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40: 31) His word also provides comfort and assurance in our most critical illnesses, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Our God, The Great Physician, is the Lord of the highs and the lows of our physical state.

The death of a loved one is perhaps the most painful low we can experience. Mourning is a valley of sadness that we experience over the loss of a beloved person in our life. It can last for a prolonged period of time and cause us to feel like we will never come out of the vast canyon of grief. Yet even at a time when no human comfort is effective, God promises in His word, “…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:13) God, our Comforter, is Lord of our sorrow.

Interestingly, geographic valleys are places of lush, fertile land. Mountaintops are not known for growing an abundance of crops. Over time, the elements have eroded the peaks, leaving very little topsoil for vegetation to grow. For example, the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges have very little vegetation growing, yet Napa Valley down below is one of the most fertile regions of the world for growing world-class grapes. The rain and snow drain down from the mountaintops and flow into the valley, carrying rich nutrients which feed the crops and vegetation growing there. Likewise, our valleys of life can be fertile grounds for producing bountiful spiritual fruit. Most spiritual growth is a result of the valley experiences we face. God can use those experiences to harvest a bumper crop of fruit in your life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:21-23) He can also use those times to draw us into closer relationship and total dependence on Him. Without our time in the valleys, we would not experience such an abundance of spiritual growth.

When you find yourself in a deep gorge of life, look up and realize that your heavenly Father is the God of your hills and your valleys. He is the one true God and wants to bring victory in the valleys for His children. He will receive glory in the process, and all will know He was and is Lord of all, forever!

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”  (Psalm 25:5)