Recently, I was reading in my devotional time and I was reminded of a very encouraging passage in Matthew 17.
Peter is asked for tax money by some officials. What's interesting is that the disciples had very little. Often, we see them with only the clothes on their backs wandering from town to town following their seemingly poor Lord. Where would they get the money? How could a group of rag-tag fisherman without two nickels meet this bill?
Well, Jesus tells Peter to do something unusual. He tells Peter to go fishing and the first fish Peter catches has money in its mouth. That money pays their bills! Jesus answers the need with a miracle!
As I talk to other Pastors, a theme is clear across the country: Churches are struggling financially. One prominent Pastor I talked to recently shared that his church is hundreds of thousands of dollars behind in their giving. Two days ago, I heard of another church laying off four of its Pastors due to low finances. Times are hard for everyone. People are not able to give like they could in the past. The downturn in the economy has caused us to turn down ministry opportunities.
But here's the good news. God is still our Leader. Throughout history, the Church, more than any other institution, has shown remarkable resilience. As a matter of fact, the Church often is at its best during hardship because hardship forces us to rely on God more. Difficulties remind us that all comfort, all prosperity, all that we hold dear comes from one source, Jesus Christ.
Check out the rest of this post in Economy Got You Down? Part 2
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