Endless Recession

It seems that the current economic downturn is continuing despite some claims that the economy is turning around. For the first time in my life, I am pessimistic about the future. Our country is in such a mess that I don’t know how we are ever going to recover.

We have a huge national debt, we continue to have an unfavorable balance of trade (we import more than we export), we are dependent on foreign sources for much of our oil, we owe other countries (including China) huge amounts of money because of their loans to us (if those loans get called in, we are bankrupt as a nation), the dollar is shaky, our manufacturing base eroded, many of our jobs are gone forever (either exported overseas or just disappeared) the housing market is still depressed, and businesses aren’t hiring. In addition, social security will eventually go bust unless something is done now, we are losing our technological edge, and many state and local governments are in deep financial trouble, meaning even more layoffs and reductions in service plus higher taxes. Congress can’t agree on anything, so the critical issues are not being addressed.

That’s just a partial list of our economic and governmental woes. In addition, our nation is turning away from the God who has blessed it immeasurably, morals continue to decline, people of faith are ridiculed and mocked, church attendance appears to be declining, much of the population is biblically illiterate, and situational ethics, relativism, and political correctness have taken the place of the Judeo-Christian ethic that used to be the norm.

I haven’t told you all of this to depress you, but to motivate you to turn back to the God of your forefathers (and mothers). We are in such a mess that only God can get us out of it. Is it too late? I don’t know – it might be – but yet we should grab hold of this verse, and recite it every day.

[I]f my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

Looking at that verse in context tells us that it originally applied to the Israelites, yet I believe we can claim it for our own country as well. So let’s stop pushing God out of our lives, out of our culture, and out of our country. As people of faith, we must be proactive, or our country will continue to sink lower and lower spiritually, morally, ethically, culturally, economically, and every other way.