Against all hope

Times are tough. Things seem to be getting better in the economy....at least that's what we keep hearing on the news. During times of struggle it is easy to start worrying about being self-sufficient, independent, and safe. When the going gets tough, it seems like second nature to draw all our belongings and trust only ourselves. However, we are called to something different. Trust in God's providence.

We are called to put our trust in a God that we believe is able to provide for and sustain us. Could it be that our "safety nets" are actually keeping us from furthering our trust and faith in the God that takes care of even the birds and lilies? Could our independence be inhibiting our dependence on God? But then again I see the other side: it would also be foolish to not use the power of reason that we were given in order to avoid hardships.

I don't want to tell you how to deal with the current economic situation, but I do find comfort in the fact that I worship a God that has promised some crazy things (or at least it seems crazy to us) ...and made good on them:

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God," Acts 4: 18-20

May you hope in the God that created you and sustains you and perhaps your belief will also be "credited to [you] as righteousness." (Genesis 15: 6)