Ministers may preach 100 sermons annually for over 40 years. I asked my family if I should continue blogging and they suggested I continue. So we will go on. My goal was to blog twice a week or 102 blogs in a year. Over this past year there have been approximately 5,000 hits or about 95 per week. One year ago, I could not have imagined that I would be writing the following blog.

Being an investment advisor since 1987 I have had a glimpse of what creates needs in most people. If I were to ask 100 people what their main need was, I probably would get 85% to respond that it was financial. If you were to ask any city, state or our government what their greatest need was, they would have to say finances. If I were to ask: “Where do you think Satan might attack most individuals to bring us down”? The answer might be financial.

If I were to ask why are you having financial problems? Many would reply: “I do not make enough”. The real answer is: “I spend more than I make”. We see a number who have come from foreign countries, where they had hardly anything, within years they became financially independent. Their needs are much less than the needs of most Americans. Therefore, they are more inclined to save and invest because they always had excess money at the end of each month.

Let’s assume you may be one of those who are having real financial problems. You are praying constantly for God to meet your need. You realize that it doesn’t seem God is answering your prayers. Is God punishing you for not being a good steward by not answering your prayers or is He doing what may be best for you? Sometimes it takes a crisis in our lives before we change our behavior. Assume that God meets your needs and bails you out. How long might it be before you get back into the same financial mess?

We found out when credit was easy, people were borrowing on their homes to pay off their credit cards. Once their debts were paid off they began charging again just like before. Did they learn anything at all? They learned that they owed more on their homes than they are now worth.

Does anyone ever remember buying a new car on credit and having the Holy Spirit try to suggest you buy a used one? You ignored Him and went ahead and made the purchase. How many of us realize that this is exactly what Satan wants us to do? Are we at our best when we are stressed out because of debt?

What the world is going through right now might be the best thing that could have happened. Recent news says that Moody’s is warning that the Treasury’s AAA rating is in jeopardy. We are told there could be a possible run on our dollar and that we may be headed for hyperinflation. The rumor is that there will be a national sales tax coming soon. There is a possibility that they will raise the retirement age on Social Security. Most are aware of the financial condition of Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy. (PIG-IS)

When all of this is in place, hopefully Christians will realize the need for prayer. We are going the opposite direction our Christian founders had envisioned. We had better get our personal finances under control and ask God to help us focus on living according to His will.