Worried About the Recession? 3 Biblical Keys You Must RememberНамуна

One of the most famous examples of a significant economic crisis in the Bible is with Joseph in Egypt. If you recall, in verse 25, Joseph begins explaining the meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams.

He identifies that a famine is coming, so the best course of action is to prepare by storing grain as a reserve to be used during the impending famine.

God even gives him specific instructions on how much he should store each year.

He is instructed to store up to 20% (or a fifth) of everything for the years leading to the famine.

If you haven’t been able to save and prepare, it’s time to start.

The best time to fix a hole in your roof is on a sunny day. But I’d still rather fix it on a cloudy day than during a downpour.

Not sure where exactly we are in this analogy currently. Maybe it is cloudy; maybe it’s a light sprinkle.

But either way, don’t wait until it is pouring to start preparing.

But the most important point here is to realize that regular economic cycles have ups and downs.

And preparing for the next downturn while you have the opportunity is just sound wisdom.

Let me just encourage you that a storm is coming. They are always coming. Even if it isn’t this particular recession that we are going into right now, challenges will inevitably come (see John 16:33) so let’s be wise and prepare.

If you are like most, you won’t be able to save 20% overnight. And I don’t really think that specific instruction to Joseph is necessarily what we should all be doing (though I don’t think it is a bad idea).

But let’s start where you are and do what you can, and let’s pray and let God do what only He can do.

But let’s learn from Joseph. He didn’t just wait around until the famine and cry out to God for food. He took action to do what he could when he got the heads up that a famine was coming.

And in your preparation, put your hope and trust in God. Never forget that God is sovereign and completely in control, regardless of what Governments, Kings, and economies are doing.

We can trust in Him amid the craziness. He is faithful.

If you need some practical tips for surviving and thriving in the recession, I put together a short PDF guide with some of my best tips from the last 15 years of helping Christians win with money. You can download it here.