Oh, I feel so much better after a few good nights of sleep. See, after several sleepless nights as America inched closer and closer to plunging off the fiscal cliff I had become exhausted. I couldn’t imagine the horror of what life would’ve been like having to pay eight dollars for a gallon of milk and an extra two thousand dollars per year in taxes.
I was gripped with fear thinking about how plummeting off the cliff would’ve affected the giving in our church—it wouldn’t be long before there were no funds to pay the pastor. And because all of the businesses in town would also be suffering, I wouldn’t be able to find a job.
A momentary glimmer of hope set in as I thought about the possibility of getting some government assistance; however, that hope quickly faded as I imagined how everyone else would want some assistance as well. I was consumed with the unfairness of it all, I’m an American and I’m entitled to a life free from inconvenience and pain—our government owes me!
Feeling so disillusioned and downhearted before the House of Representative vote on Monday night, I finally drove over to the bridge on Highway 75 that crosses over Interstate 90 to see if there was a good place underneath where Vicki and I could find some shelter in case we did go off the cliff. And yep, there was a pretty nice spot under the north side.
Two things come to mind as I’ve been reflecting on all the hype around the fiscal cliff and the polarization of our government leaders. First it’s easy to point fingers at who’s to blame, yet as long as American’s maintain their selfish attitude that the government is responsible for helping every person maintain a certain level of lifestyle, our financial crisis is only going to get worse. The good news—there’s room under the bridge for you too.
Second, our future hope is not life on earth in America, but rather when heaven and earth are reconciled and God comes to dwell among us again. And no matter what happens in the future we have no reason to fear—be still and know that God’s not worried either. Feeling fearful, discouraged, disillusioned…, let me encourage you to find a quiet place (maybe even under a bridge) and mediate on this Psalm for a while. It sure helped me.
Psalm 46—The Message
1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city, this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything he says. 7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of GOD! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” 11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
Grace to you, and peace, Mike