Trish and I are trying to plan for our not-too-distant retirement. We are both retirement age but Trish so loves her work, (and her students year-by-year), that she wants to continue teaching life skills to teenagers for another year or so. I stopped working for money some years ago; I am older.
But the planning is hard. Inflation is now growing. We remember high inflation from our newly-wed years, it is costly and destructive; hard won money shrinks in real value. Today banks and financial institutions pay very small interest rates that do not even cover the inflation, let alone earn one an income.
Trish and I agree that, for us, this is a lesson in looking to Jesus.
The World
I downloaded a Daily Returns from the financial giant which holds our retirement money. For months, in every category except "Cash", most funds have lost money almost every day, not a lot, but the objective is that these funds are to earn income to support the customers in their retirement, and to preserve the capital value so that it will last for years, or even decades. These days the gurus and PhDs and expert traders cannot make a profit. They seem to share in the lack of confidence that now pervades the whole world.
Also, we see that today politics are toxic and the different sides do not talk to each other, they do not even acknowledge that their opponents have any grasp of truth. Politics was known as "the art of compromise". Discussion and compromise has worked for centuries in the Western democracies; this is why we have been such free, egalitarian (everybody relatively equal), peaceful and prosperous nations. But today when there is no real discussion about issues, there can be no establishing common ground and no agreement for the benefit of the whole society.
Our freedoms are being taken away. In recent years the power of governments, the media, the billionaires and the big corporations has steadily increased. It seems their primary goal is no longer to serve the people but to look after their own ideological interests. Our power and freedoms are shrinking. Democracy is dying.
I see that only Jesus gives any hope, our God of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 10:7) and of all time (Exodus 9:5). There is nothing in this world to give hope, even for those with power and influence, and those who share their ideologies.
People tend to think it would be wonderful if Jesus were to clearly point us to investments which are safe, will grow with inflation and provide an income even if people live to be 100 (which many of us think is possible for Trish). But I know that I would soon become a spoilt child if it were so easy.
No, the Bible is clear, both in the Old Testament and the New .. life in our world is often "trouble" (John 16:33; Matthew 6:34) .. but also is filled with "love" (John 15:9), "provision" (Luke 12:31), "triumph" (Revelation 17:14) and "joy" (John 15:11); and in the flow of "God's grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2), (present tense continuous).
We know that above everything, it is God's will for us which is the priority in our life (Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Besides, we remember that Jesus assures His disciples: "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). We are His disciples today, this Word is for us.
When I was a brand new Christian I asked for a Bible for my birthday; I wanted a large print NIV. NIV was new then and I liked that it used the same kind of English I used every day. We had heard from a professor who had been involved in the NIV development; we were reassured about the depth of the Christian devotion and quality of the scholarship which went into that development over many years.
The first passage I encountered in this, my very first Bible, was Luke 12:22-31: ".. do not be anxious .."; it amazed me then, and I still remember.
Back then I was a husband and the father of small children, we had a big mortgage and every payday was very welcome. I understood that: ".. all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them". A profound revelation.
When I shared this passage with Christian friends, they all responded by telling testimonies of how our lovely Jesus had unexpectedly provided for them in an amazing way. All these years later I do not remember details but do remember the joy these people showed as they shared their excitement at their experiences of God's practical love towards them.
I also remember being told that when the Pilgrims
first arrived in America in their ship "Mayflower", they lived as did
the early Christians in Acts 2:42-47. They owned everything jointly and shared
work, resources, life. For years there was no sickness among them, until they
began to divide up property and put their ownership on "their" piece
of land! Remember too, there was no sickness among the Israelites as they
wandered the Wilderness for 40 years, and "their
clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on their feet"
(Deuteronomy 29:5).
Perhaps this time of trying to figure things out shows why I love Christian testimony so much. We can see Jesus (John 12:21) in people's lives, right here, right now; how He has brilliantly brought answers to intractable problems, answers which cannot be explained by science or by doctors. God is Spirit (John 4:24) and He is "Lord of heaven and earth" (Mark 12:29; Acts 17:24). Even beyond the spiritual realm His Spirit influences everything in the world:
• The Israelites crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19-31)
• Dry bones coming to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
• Mary's immaculate conception of Jesus (Matthew 1:18, 20)
• Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21.
When we believe these Biblical miracles, (and I do, completely), then it makes sense that we also believe the Bible about the Creation, in Genesis 1 and 2. To me, these accounts are so much more coherent than the (unproven and un-provable) theories of Big Bang, Billions of Years, Origins of Life, and Evolution. Every day I see God's glory in His beautiful, complex, synchronous, interdependent and complete Creation!
(Many people have explained to me why they do not believe in "Evolution of the Species". Happily every one of these people show a different aspect of life which could not exist if it had to be evolved from something more simple. The people share about something they have observed and know to be true [this is how science establishes true knowledge]. Every one)!
(Many images from the Hubble Space Telescope show things about the red shift of quasars which cannot be so if a Big Bang had caused everything to "be". John Hartnett, PhD, 2007).
Perhaps this time of trying to figure things out shows why I love Christian testimony so much. We can see Jesus (John 12:21) in people's lives, right here, right now; how He has brilliantly brought answers to intractable problems, answers which cannot be explained by science or by doctors. God is Spirit (John 4:24) and He is "Lord of heaven and earth" (Mark 12:29; Acts 17:24). Even beyond the spiritual realm His Spirit influences everything in the world:
• The Israelites crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19-31)
• Dry bones coming to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
• Mary's immaculate conception of Jesus (Matthew 1:18, 20)
• Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21.
When we believe these Biblical miracles, (and I do, completely), then it makes sense that we also believe the Bible about the Creation, in Genesis 1 and 2. To me, these accounts are so much more coherent than the (unproven and un-provable) theories of Big Bang, Billions of Years, Origins of Life, and Evolution. Every day I see God's glory in His beautiful, complex, synchronous, interdependent and complete Creation!
(Many people have explained to me why they do not believe in "Evolution of the Species". Happily every one of these people show a different aspect of life which could not exist if it had to be evolved from something more simple. The people share about something they have observed and know to be true [this is how science establishes true knowledge]. Every one)!
(Many images from the Hubble Space Telescope show things about the red shift of quasars which cannot be so if a Big Bang had caused everything to "be". John Hartnett, PhD, 2007).
So here is what Trish and I plan to do. We will write out our known options, then pray. When we know that we are of one mind and at rest in Jesus, we will do that thing.
We have gathered the best information and help we can find. We know that we are not expert so will do what Luke 12:29 says ".. do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry", and follow Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding", (see also Isaiah 26:4).
Our lovely Jesus has brought us this far. The Bible Tells us that life is short, fleeting, over-in-a-breath, (James 4:14). When people talk like this I often cringe inside. Sure these words are true in the Cosmic scale, but our lives are worked out minute by minute through our childhood, adolescence, youth and on and on. We struggle and see much trouble every day. To us life is long, not short. I can remember days and nights of doubt and pain which seemed endless .. don't tell me it is over in a heartbeat .. Paul was encouraging James to look away from his present worries and to keep his eyes on Jesus: "you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes"; fine, but please also empathize with people today, our pain and difficulties are real, as are the great true things in our lives. What can help now .. help to get us through today and then tomorrow?
In Trish's and my early years we did not know Jesus. Even so, He led us safely through our youth; He brought us together in a most amazing way, and has kept us even through a near-collapse of our marriage and long term unemployment (when our family never went without a meal or left a bill unpaid). He has given us six wonderful children and continually bonds our family together. Now we are expecting our seventh grandchild! So thrilling.
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
Always Jesus
We realise that we now know our God so well, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we can rest in Him in our future .. Jesus is the One who has saved us (John 3:16-17) and set us free (John 8:31-32).
We love Christian testimony, it shows that Jesus' people can always trust Him. So we will.
Amen.
Favourite Bible Verses
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Song
"We have decided to follow Jesus
"We have decided to follow Jesus
"We have decided to follow Jesus
"No turning back, no turning back .."
Thank you Jesus, we are so grateful. Amen.
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