"When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself,
That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people,
He will invade them with his troops." Hab 3:16
       

 

Dear Fellow Workplace Believer,

I wonder what you thought on Monday, September 29 when you heard the US stock market had one of its largest one day point drop in US history—777 points. What is interesting is that those numbers represent God’s perfect number of 7. God always lets us know he is still in control. 

Perhaps you had the same feelings expressed by Habakkuk in the verses above. His body trembled and his lips quivered for fear of the news he just heard. Whether you live in the US or abroad, the current financial crisis that is taking place in the US and now in other nations can do one of two things to most marketplace believers: either you listen to all the dramatic news reports and respond in fear, or you recognize God’s sovereignty in all matters and realize He is in control of the world’s economies and your role is to understand the signs of the times and the opportunities they present for the Kingdom of God and for those who have built their lives on a solid foundation. 

These are two very contrasting views and responses to the current financial crisis. Watch the news and you will quickly begin to get depressed if your foundation is not in Christ. Habakkuk was a leader who saw his nation of Judah being rebellious toward God and he wondered why God had not judged them. God did judge them by allowing Babylon to invade and take over their nation. 

The current crisis in America is the result of a fractured foundation

The current crisis in America is the result of a foundation that is rooted in mammon, greed and overuse of debt. As such, that foundation finally could not stand. It is a simple reality of what you sow you also reap. It is a time to understand that we cannot be a debtor nation or individual strapped by debt and maintain a solid foundation. 

The scripture clearly says that “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov 22:7).  I have followed this principle in our ministry, using minimal debt to operate. I do not believe the Bible teaches against business debt, just the overuse of it. The more you use credit, the more you become enslaved to the lender. There are some businesses that must use debt to operate, but when it comes to our personal lives, we should strive to become debt-free as much as possible.   

Using crisis as a spiritual motivation

There are a lot of people suffering through this economic time and many are experiencing great loneliness, not knowing where to turn with their challenges. I just received a call a few days ago from one of our donors who shared TGIF with one of his associates. On September 29 his friend lost several million dollars in the midst of a corporate sell off. He said he read my devotional that morning and it provided the hope and encouragement that he needed to get him through the day. It was a message just for him. We hear from thousands of people that are seeking answers and God's direction in their situations. That is why TGIF and my book, The Upside of Adversity are our most requested resources.  

 

What do brokenness, adversity and hearing the voice of God have in common?

These are the topics most in demand by our TGIF subscribers and those we serve through our ministry.  I recently spoke at a conference in Austin, Texas. A man came up to me at the bookstore with tears in his eyes. He was almost speechless. I could see the pain on his face. “You have just made sense of my ordeal. Your session was life-changing. I immediately came to your table after your session on Embracing the Cross in Your Marketplace Call. I got your Upside of Adversity and read the first chapter last night. It is a God-send.” He asked me if I would pray for him and I did. This story happens every week through our ministry to those in the marketplace.