The other day I got the shock of my life. Like you, I'm headed toward retirement, so I've become much more conscious of what's happening to my retirement funds. Now, when I get my monthly statement, I read it instead of just putting it in the file folder. Yikes! October was a horrible month; I just lost a huge chunk of my savings. At this rate, it's not going to be only GM out of money by the end of the year. So how do we handle something like this?

We can develop an ulcer worrying, get angry at God (who, we think, could stop it, but when he doesn't we blame him for it), or we can connect with him. There are a lot of stories about his noticing what happens to people. When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush he told him he'd been noticing what the Egyptians had been doing to his kids, how they'd suffered. He said he wanted to set them free, so, "Moses, get yourself together and head back to Egypt." God isn't unaware or uncaring about what happens to us, whether positives or negatives. He's quite aware of it all. Throughout the scriptures there are a lot of promises he's made. The one in Isaiah 58 seems to fit things real well right now: "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame." (v. 11) Philippians 4.19 fits as well: "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Choosing to trust God seems to me to be the best response to a bad financial situation like we're in now. Tell him what's bothering you and what you'd like him to do for you; remind him of these two verses. Tell him you've heard he's a great God, but that you'd love to experience him for yourself. Then, put it in his hands and trust him to take care of it. Keep committing it to him as you need to, then email me the story of what happens when he goes into action for you. Unless, of course, you prefer eating antacids?

Pastor John Glass