Like many of you, I don't look forward to listening to the financial news these days. These are troubling times, full of depressing and heart breaking stories of businesses and families destroyed by a catastrophic failure of a financial world brought to its knees by the corporate greed and gross irresponsibility of international banking institutions and their executives. By regulatory bodies who failed to regulate, leaving so many of us to come to terms with this financial tsunami.

If you're anywhere around my age, you will be far from happy having to experienced the unthinkable, seeing your retirement plans or the savings you have worked so hard for all your life, disappearing like snow off a wall.

Now for the good news!
I read the other day of a pastor who in his daily devotional time recently felt that God was really convicting him in a way that was quite unmistakably. As he started to faithfully go through his prayer list of thanking God for the blessings He'd given him, praying for his family and for his own personal concerns, he felt God stopped him short. He felt convicted that this was no way at the moment to start his prayer time. No, he needed to start by offering himself to God, to be fully used by Him.

It was as if God told him that his priorities were wrong. He felt God was telling him that he shouldn't be praying for himself. That his job was to carry out the responsibilities God had given him. And if he did that, God would take care of his needs. God raised him up he realized, to lead His Church. And that's what he should be doing. Providing encouragement in tough times.

To take this a stage further and only a few hours later, he arrived for an appointment at the hospital to get the results of a biopsy (which, happily, turned out well).

When he arrived at the reception desk, he was welcomed by a nurse-a lovely woman-with an enormous smile on her face. She was also a Christian, and she told him she had been waiting at the desk to meet him. As they talked, the pastor asked her how she was handling these difficult and trying days. She told him that her husband had been heavily investing in real estate. When the housing market collapsed, they lost everything they had, their home, cars, retirement, everything. And she, who was probably in her 40s, had to go back to work to support the family.

When she finished, she looked at the pastor with a radiant smile and said, "It's been tough, but I have no fear. The Lord has a plan for me. I am totally at peace."

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27

The pastor was nearly speechless. He very quickly realized that this was no chance meeting. Here, right before his eyes, was living confirmation of what God convicted him about only a matter of hours earlier. All he could do was thank her for telling him, and then prayed with her for a few moments. Scripture tells us we often meet angels unawares.

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing so have unwittingly entertained angels." (Hebrews 12:2)

The pastor couldn't help but be encouraged. Nobody who encounters this woman's trust in God would ever deny the power of faith. While many are walking around wringing their hands, not knowing where to look for help, this woman was living with "unutterable and amazing joy." That kind of faith changes a person, convinces the skeptic, proves the truth of Biblical promises, and provides a stunning witness to God's love for us in Christ-even in tough times.

That's the kind of faith God calls us, to a complete and utter trust in Him. It's easy to be a believer when everything is going well. The real test is when things fall apart, and we Christians are called on to display the wonder working power of our God in our lives.

Many now know how hard it is to have virtually nothing: reminiscent of the days of the Great Depression. Sure, it hurts to see your life's savings, your job or your home threatened. It's part and parcel of being human in a fallen world. But, especially in times like this, the Christian is called to display to the world, that becauase of his faith in Christ, he can feel secure and be content in all things.

I challenge you to read a passage of Scripture that may be very familiar to you, Matthew 6:24 – 34.  Read it in the context of what you’ve read above. How far would you go in trusting God in that way?

 The Christian must be different and display that difference to the world. Maybe that's what God intends to do with this crisis. Maybe He'll use it to banish the "health and wealth gospel" and let the world see how the genuine faith of God's people shines all the brighter in the darkest times.

I pray that all Christians reading this Weekly Power Surge might hear God's word as that pastor did. Be not afraid! Provide encouragement in tough times.  And then live with the kind of vibrant faith that that nurse in the hospital showed him.