Perhaps it’s fair to say that money troubles cause anxiety, and many are feeling the pinch or the downright squeeze right now. While we live in a society which flaunts its wealth, and we are a beacon, obviously, to many refugees seeing prosperity, the truth is that budgeting and restraint is becoming more necessary every day. There are advertisers, scammers, and influencers who can cause real harm to those who lack good “money” sense.
Retired people on fixed incomes are threatened right now as prices rise, and unexpected expenses can wreck their best-laid plans. As a trip to the food store causes grief, just buying the basics, we call upon our wealth of experiences to remember the times when we had 18% inflation. Some of us even remember the growing up years following the depression and World War II rationing, and bartering our parents endured when we were young. It’s not a bad thing. We knew how to economize, we learned and never forgot delayed gratification, and we learned to make casseroles and meatless meals, and even to enjoy them. Christmases were filled with joyful activities and few but treasured and meaningful gifts, and every week in school we added a few dollars to our school-bank savings accounts so we could learn to plan for the future.
Unfortunately, there are those who entice the unaware with “get rich quick” schemes, and we watch show after show on TV when people look at houses to buy, then say, in their entitled voices, we have to remodel. These cupboards are old, or we need to replace all the floors, “gut the place” and start over. Every time, there are cost overruns and every week people buy lottery tickets instead of green, leafy vegetables. And scammers and identity thieves steal and wreck havoc with people’s life savings, and crime becomes more rampant and these days, perpetrators seemingly face few consequences.
Here’s what Paul writes in Hebrews: 13:5-6: Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.’ That is why we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.’” Those with compassionate, empathetic hearts give to the poor, to worthwhile causes. We are still the most generous of people when disasters strike and when Go Fund Me pages are announced. Many give from what meager means they have to help others. Most Christians I know practice Thanksliving, whether they invest in the future out of their gratefulness for God’s provisions. We build churches, we finance missions to the whole world, we donate what little we have to build hospitals, refugee centers, and support activities for young people so they grow up with good values. We love to make faith promises, because we know that God blesses and multiplies those gifts.
Here’s what my favorite Psalm says about God’s blessings. Here’s our word of encouragement for this day, where we can See God in ’23! and forever. Psalm 103 will raise our spirits this day, for God’s truth always does that:
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;[a]
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
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