Is God Calling In His Loan?

We deceive ourselves when we view our jobs, our pensions and 401Ks, and our investment portfolios as the source of our wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “God gives you the power to gain wealth …”. Also, Philippians 4:19 says, “God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” For many of us, our jobs, our pensions and 401Ks, and our investment portfolios are merely the means that God chooses to use for supplying our needs, but it is ultimately He who provides us with a place of employment, the skills necessary to accomplish our work, and wisdom for managing our money. Certainly, there is a cooperative element in this as God rarely imposes His will upon us—choosing instead to counsel, motivate, and exhort us to follow a particular path and to take advantage of opportunities—but apart from God we are powerless to accomplish anything of significance. The prophet Jeremiah declared, “I know, LORD, that a man’s way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). Likewise, Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.”

We may be bread winners for our families, but it is God who gives us the power to earn this bread. Realizing this, we do not need to fear the prospect of our company going bankrupt, our job being out-sourced, of being fired for remaining obedient to God, or of losing our pension or 401K plans because our salary is not the true source of our wealth. As our ultimate provider, it always remains God’s prerogative to change the means that He uses to supply our needs. If we are faithful to God, then God will be faithful to us. Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.” And Proverbs 28:20 assures us that, “A faithful man will have many blessings …”.

When we place our confidence in He who declares, “[T]he world and everything in it is Mine,” then we need never fear the collapse of economic institutions (Psa. 50:12). After all, it could be that God is simply calling in His loan. Romans 11:36 declares that nothing belongs to us; everything that we have is on loan from God, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” Why should God continue to loan His resources to those who oppress the poor, gather power to themselves, and worship profit margins? Perhaps the economic calamity that threatens our nation is simply God’s means of reminding our nation of its true source of wealth. Those who have already placed their trust in the Lord may be affected by this calamity, but they will not be left destitute. Jesus comforts us in Luke 12:6–7, saying, “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!”

This article is excerpted from the paper “Seeking Refuge in a Precarious Economy.”