By David Yarnes

This past season has been a challenging time for many believers. Our country has been facing what looks to be the beginning of a recession, which is unprecedented during an election year. Typically during an election year, officials do all they can to bolster the economy. At this point, all attempts have not been able to turn things around. Over the past year, we have seen foreclosures in record numbers as many were caught in the "subprime" fallout. Some areas have been experiencing foreclosures up as much as 75 percent.

With all that is happening in the world and with many believers facing significant challenges, what is God speaking in the midst of this, and how can we apply His principles to our current situation? One thing to remember is that Scripture tells us that often, citizens can suffer because of the mistakes of government or industry. We are told, "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan" (Proverbs 29:2 NIV). It is important for us as believers to realize how the effects of leadership have been on our everyday lives. Furthermore, God can use circumstances to get our attention individually and nationally. One of the quickest ways for His chastisement to be felt is to touch the pocketbook of a nation or a people.

In the midst of this, what are some things that we can do practically and personally to prepare and weather the storm? First, if we have made wrong decisions and find ourselves suffering because of them, we can take on a new sense of hope knowing that our God delights in restoration. One thing to guard against is the powerful enemies of despair, shame, and guilt. We may have made wrong decisions, including some which were financially ill-advised. Even so, we can take courage in knowing that in turning to God, repenting, and letting His Lordship come, restoration will begin. The enemy will try to keep us in despair, but as we see through Scriptures, a period of chastening often comes to us because of God's great love. Throughout this time, be encouraged through the Scriptures and take practical steps of restoration, including opening up our lives to a pastor or a trusted financial counselor.

If you are in a position where you are doing well and have not been affected, you can use this time to examine the mistakes of others, learn from them, and avoid unneeded hardship. Let's not take our queue from society around us. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world" (see I John 2:15 KJV).

Our society is one of commercialism, constantly bombarding young and old with pressure for new and better things to fuel its appetite. Even our government cannot seem to stop our nation from casting off restraint, as we continue stacking up unprecedented debt. We have seen many model corporations and directors involved in great scandals concerning greed and impropriety, but the Scriptures tell us to let our moderation be known to all men (see Philippians 4:5 KJV). Practically, we need to pray and seriously consider extraneous purchases at this time—be it trading in the car for a new one, buying that vacation property, or even simply upgrading an outdated, but still effective, laptop.

Proverbs 6:6-8 says, "A wise ant labors hard all summer, gathering food for the winter." Let's get back to the basics of saving rather than spending. Many Americans do not even save a small fraction of their income, and the majority spends as much as 110 percent or more of their earnings. Even the poorest countries often have a better percentage of savings than we do as Americans. We need to be careful with debt at this time. In a society that makes debt so easily available, be it a home equity line, zero percent down car financing, or rent to own appliances, often the ease of debt can stretch a household well beyond its means.

As we honor God through tithes and offerings, we are assured that God will rebuke the devourer and pour out a blessing.

Not only are we assured that God will rebuke the devourer and pour out a blessing, but we can often break our focus from the temporal material world and put it on the unseen unshakeable kingdom of God. We need to create a culture of discipline, instilling in young and old alike the time honored, but often out of fashion, qualities of temperance and prudence. In a culture of discipline, we can model to a younger generation and the world around us that we are not driven by our appetites.

As we begin to develop resources as believers, we can partake in what could be an unprecedented time of opportunity. If we begin to apply kingdom principles and values, many could begin to take advantage of an unprecedented spiritual and material harvest. As we come through this season, let's be aware of ministry opportunities to those around us who are seeking answers in record number.

We could see the Scripture fulfilled in Joel that this is both the "great and terrible" time of harvest: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of The LORD shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call" (Joel 2:31-32 KJV).

As we see challenges come to our country, we can also believe it is a time of the unparalleled harvest of souls. Believe that through these challenges God will raise up a remnant of Himself.
 

David Yarnes is the Chief Operating Officer and Lead Developer of the Heritage Tower project for H.I.M. David is also the president and majority owner of several investment companies. He is a co-founder and owner of Proactive Loan Servicing and Proactive Wealth Management, Triumph Capital Management, and is the founder and president of Willow Bay, Inc. He also owns and manages The Crown Theater performing arts center and an award winning Holiday Inn Express.  David has an extensive government consulting background and has been retained by many notable government agencies.  

Let us know about your testimonies. Please write to us at: dyarnes@morningstarministries.org.