Posts Tagged families

Recession? Depression? What Does it Matter?

The global economic meltdown has affected governments, families, and employers in a way no one saw coming. Of course, we’ve all been told that its just a recession, a temporary blip on the economic radar. But with more families struggling to keep food on the table, a nearly 10% unemployment rate in the U.S. (and some say the actual unemployment rate is really closer to 20% or more), and “homeowners” losing their homes at an unprecedented rate, this recession seems like a good deal more than what some would have us to believe.

In fact, more people are raising the term “depression” to describe our current economic crisis. Gluskin Sheff economist, David Rosenberg, told CNBC that “current economic conditions” are “a depression, and not just some garden-variety recession.” Whatever you want to call it, it seems as though the current financial crisis is not going anywhere for some time.

Interestingly, there is a story in the Old Testament book of Genesis (chapter 41) about a Hebrew man named Joseph who was living in Egypt, which was a world power at the time. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, received a disturbing dream, but he was unsure of what it meant. He called Joseph, who was known to be able to interpret dreams, and asked him what the dream meant.

Joseph’s interpretation was stark: After seven years of great plenty, there would be seven years of severe famine. In a modern context, we could say Joseph was forecasting a seven-year economic meltdown. Pharaoh very wisely decided to allow Joseph to lead the Egyptian government in figuring out how they would survive the coming depression. Joseph’s plan was quite simple, really. During the seven years of plenty, he decided to store up the surplus so that when the hard times came, the country would still have enough to eat. As a result, Egypt and the surrounding nations survived the famine.

Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and construct an effective plan for surviving the disaster because he trusted in God’s wisdom. Joseph’s Heavenly Father cared for him, and helped him to see the best way to avoid an economic disaster where millions of people could have starved to death.

Did you know that Joseph’s Heavenly Father is still alive today, and that He loves you just as He loved Joseph, and that He wants to help you and your family survive the difficult economic times that we face. If you want the peace and assurance of knowing that you have a relationship with the God who will give you wisdom and guide you through difficult situations, please read the following to find out how you can have a personal relationship with Him.

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