Are you prepared?

Stocks have dropped over 20% in the last few months. Many people have investments, and their retirements are tied to the price of those stock prices. Most people are not super worried because the belief is that stocks always go up, and if it is down, it will eventually come back. I want to pose a question. What happens if stocks don’t come back up? Not a pleasant thought is it. There are two thoughts rolling around my mind today, as I witnessed another deep fall in stock prices.

#1. Are we financially prepared for emergencies during crisis. I’ve read that 56% of Americans can not cover a $1000 emergency. America has a spending problem, last month alone, people have relied on credit cards to buy more “stuff”. I must ask a serious question, are we living beyond our means?

#2. Have we put too much reliance on our ability to survive a financial crisis. The Bible tell us that there will come a time where we won’t be able to buy or sell. What will become of us, when we don’t have support that we usually have? Can we trust God through hard times?

It is not money that will get us through the end, it will be our dependence on our Heavenly Father.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12: 19-21

It won’t be riches that will see us through the end, it will be a continual dependence on our Father. God has asked us to be good stewards of His wealth. Everything is His. We give our tithes and offerings, and besides that we spend our money wisely. Living on a budget, and buying things when we can is an essential skill. We will take nothing from this world, and that my friends is a good thing. Money and stocks are treasures of this world, but our treasure is the home above. I am not a financial expert, I have no idea what the future holds, except one. Jesus is coming with riches beyond measure. Let us not trust in chariots or horses, but trust in the God who owns the thousand hills and all the sheep on those hills.

Connected to the Vine

-Pastor Danny