Taking Spiritual Awakening & Biblical Thinking to the Nations
with Drs. Eddie & Susan Hyatt & Friends
How to Survive the
Global Financial Meltdown by
Eddie L. Hyatt
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but those who
seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10).
As I listened to the news last evening on Fox and CNN it was obvious that we are in a major, global financial meltdown. It was also obvious that the 700 billion dollar bailout is not working and that the politicians and economists do not have answers for the situation. Serious economic times are obviously ahead. As Christians we must not despair but remember that God has given specific promises for times such as these. He has promised that we can, not only survive such difficult economic times, but that we can flourish in the midst of them. One such promise that has been very meaningful to Sue and me for the entire 32+ years of our marriage is Psalm 32:10, The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
When the Young Lions Lack & Suffer Hunger
If anyone in the rain forest has food, it is the young lions. The young lions are strong, fast, and agile. They are also smart and know how to stalk and overtake their prey. If anyone has food on the African savanna, it is the young lions. When the young lions are hungry and going without, there is severe famine in the land.
In our world the young lions are those who, in the natural, know how to acquire and accumulate wealth. They are the Bill Gates, the Warren Buffets, and the Donald Trumps of modern society. But in times of economic disaster, when even the young lions are going down financially, God promises that those who seek Him will not suffer any lack. What a wonderful promise!
What It Means to Seek the Lord
The promise of surviving (and even flourishing) the financial meltdown is given to those who “seek the Lord.” But what exactly does that mean? To “seek the Lord” means that we have made His interests our interests, His priorities our priorities. It means that we no longer try to use God as a means to achieve our personal ends and goals, but we have made Him and His will our ultimate objective and goal in life. It means that our first concern in prayer is not to tell God what we need, but to know what are the things on His heart and mind and how we can please Him and be obedient to Him. As I have listened to certain prosperity preachers over the years, it has been obvious that many were not seeking the Lord and His interests, but their own personal gain. They tend to see God and His promises as means for them and others to achieve personal goals of success, wealth, and popularity.
Such a self-centered approach, however, will not survive the economic meltdown. In fact, some of the most popular ministries in America are now suffering foreclosures on their church buildings and properties (see www.fireinmybones.com). Others have announced that they are downsizing in order to survive. Many years ago Sue and I drove past a large ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was in financial straits and on the verge of collapse. The Spirit of the Lord fell upon Sue and she heard Him say, “Don’t build on money because when money fails, what you have built will fail. Build on My eternal values and what you build will last for eternity.”
Making His First Million
During the Great Depression
As I write this I am reminded of Robert LeTourneau, one of the most successful businessmen of the 20th century, who made his first million dollars the same year the Great Depression hit and people were jumping out of buildings and committing suicide because their wealth had suddenly disappeared. When he began his business, which was a small machine shop that eventually developed into a massive empire that developed and manufactured heavy construction equipment, he made God his senior partner. He did not practice the traditional concept of tithing (in which 10% is God’s and 90% is mine), but, rather, saw himself as a junior partner and manager responsible for looking after God’s property and business. He had a saying, “It is not how much of my money I give to God, it is how much of His money I keep for myself.” For many years before his death, LeTourneau gave 90% of both his personal and business income to the work of the Lord (and he still had millions for himself). Later in life, he wrote a book (now out of print) called God Owns My Business. He is an example of someone who sought the Lord and flourished even in the midst of a financial meltdown known as the Great Depression.
Conclusion
I can’t tell you the numerous times I have spoken Psalm 34:10 in prayer and thanksgiving when facing financial challenges and how God has shown Himself faithful again and again to fulfill His promise. I am, therefore, confident that God’s people can make it in the days ahead. We must, however, stop trying to use God for our own selfish ends. We must make His priorities our priorities, His desires our desires. As we do this, He will prune certain areas of our lives, but it is so He can add to our lives His way. He truly will become our Source and we will find ourselves, not only surviving, but flourishing in the midst of the world’s financial meltdown.
