Some say "Experience is the best teacher" but I believe "Experience of someone else fully revealed to me is the best teacher". The Holy Scripture provides us an excellent economic guide to live by. Those that study history see that society continues to make the same mistakes over and over again. As it has been said, "History may not repeat itself, but it runs parallel". The current financial crisis is a case in point. Once that most of the Great Depression Era men and women died off, their wisdom and understanding died with them. They were in essence the watchmen on the wall. They would remind us of the mistakes made which caused the Great Depression. Once their call for sanity disappeared, the current leadership (and their egos) decided they could defy economic gravity.
Our ego has overpowered our memory. Our ego wants to overpower our ability to hear GOD. America has become the poster child for the epitome of economic consumption. Do you remember when the President told us to "go out and spend" to help the economy? The last two Fed Chairmen claimed ignorance of the financial bubbles prior to their bursting. C’mon!
Our long-term memories tend to erase themselves thus adversely affecting our judgment. Our actions are based upon motivating factors such as greed, fear, judgment, or revelation. Those of us who have knowingly acted on revelation thirst for more! Revelation from Our Heavenly Father is superior to any set of facts that could be presented. Why? Our Heavenly Father is not restricted to this time continuum that we are operating in. HE knows the beginning from end.
The Great Depression was the result of the Roaring 20’s. The 1920’s was noted for the loose credit granted to borrowers who then "played" the stock market. Sound familiar? The current policy makers are already making the same mistakes made back then. This is not a repeat of the 1930’s because the U.S. was a creditor nation with a strong manufacturing base and an exporter of oil. Now the U.S. is the largest debtor nation in history, an importer of oil, and a much smaller manufacturing base replaced by a "services based" economy. The consequences may be more dramatic this time.
Frankly, I’m getting tired of the rhetoric, everybody’s got an opinion of the solution to this global problem. Everyone has memory loss! Leaders are determined to make the same mistakes of seventy years ago. Is it a massive conspiracy by the elitists? Is it a hidden agenda being carried out over multiple decades and multiple descendents of the ultra wealthy? Fear mongering is not the solution to sway public opinion to the right economic direction. A "black swan" event is not prepared for in any of the mental disciplines. Mathematical probabilities exclude a financial tsunami event in the investment calculations. How do we prepare for those society changing events? What can we do to respond to those gut wrenching challenges that seem to appear out of nowhere?
First of all, study to show thyself approved:
2Ti 2:15-16
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
Secondly, pray in your closet:
Mat 6:6-7
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
"Closet" is also used in the Old Testament:
Joe 2:1-19
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and [when] they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Who knoweth [if] he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; [even] a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God?
Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
The Bride of Christ, the overcomers, will be found in their closets receiving revelation from THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
The answer to the global financial crisis is found in this passage from the Book of Joel: Repent (turn to ME), fast (subdue the ego), weep and with mourning (confess our sins and release them), rend our hearts (so they become pure). When this occurs, revelation will replace man’s wisdom, judgment, and fear. Only then will the crisis be over.