Stock market & fear

The last few weeks have been brutal, haven't they? As if the current heat wave weren't bad enough, the government debt crisis and political Chicken match just about made life miserable. 

But Standard and Poor's dealt the real punch in the gut when it downgraded the U.S. credit rating.   The stock markets—which started tumbling as leaders of our government started behaving like two cliques of middle-schoolers—took a nosedive.

I can only imagine what my retirement plan looks like. "Imagine" is the operative word, because I'm not looking. What good would it do?

Meanwhile, I've been working on a sermon on the 23rd Psalm, which I'll preach at my church this Sunday.  In light of our governmental and economic catastrophes—which stand alongside plenty of other bad news—I've been struck by two lines in this beloved psalm.

"I shall not want."

Really? That seems like a miraculous promise. Not because God will become the cosmic Santa Claus, but because I might limit my wants to what I already have. In our materialistic age, turning off our "wanter" is a miracle indeed.

Elsewhere in this psalm, we see an image of the Shepherd (God) guiding and disciplining his sheep (us). I've realized that when I'm living a focused, disicplined life, then what I most want is exactly what I need. When I come in from running in Texas summer heat, the only thing I want is what my body needs more than anything—water. When I'm consistent in practicing my spiritual disciplines, the first thing I want in the morning is precisely what my soul needs—Bible study and prayer.

So, although I refuse to believe God intends for leaders to squabble and behave badly, I believe God can use this crisis to help us focus on what's really important. (If God used the Assyrians and Babylonians to chasten Israel and Judah, God can—ironically—use the fallout of political food-fighting to help us see what's really important.)

And that would be a significant "wanter" adjustment. Perhaps this crisis will break our cycle of greed. That would be a far-reaching blessing.

"I fear no evil, for You are with me."

Interestingly, the psalm does not promise we will not encounter evil. It simply says we will not fear evil, because God is with us. 

Bad things happen. They always will. Good people get sick and die. Mean people do wicked things. Retirement funds take a tumble when you're about to turn 65. 

But through it all, God is with us. God is sufficient. Not that we won't suffer, or feel discouraged and disappointed. But God will be with us.

That's the Apostle Paul's point in the eighth chapter of Romans. Even in the worst of times, God works to bring good out of bad situations (Romans 8:28).

So, despite all the distractions and difficulties, we can look forward with hope. God will use these times to shape our hearts, to channel our aspirations, to deepen our relationships.