Can You Stand A Market Correction?
Good Morning Friends,
The stock market has been a little skittish of late. Some think it could get worse. Can You Stand A Market Correction?
Scripture: See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV)
Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 (NRSV)
I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14 (NRSV)
Message: Some people call all of what has been happening in the economy a “market correction”. The language personifies “the market” as if it was correcting itself – like some kind of a living thing seeking to purge itself after too much food and drink. It isn’t a message we like to hear, or want to hear. But it is a message that we need to hear because, like it or not – that is what is happening. Today’s passage from Malachi and Hebrews hints of itself at a bit of a “market correction”. Malachi speaks of a refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap and Paul speaks of being disciplined – we speak of market corrections, but the idea is interrelated. Let’s face it, the greed and fear emotions of the stock markets are not good for us. But the status quo and the pain of responding to correction makes it difficult to face the reality, and so many go blithely on refusing to face their our own sins, ignoring it until it hits them like a ton of bricks. We are over exuberant at the thought of Jesus, delighted in fact, but who can endure the day of his coming. It is a message we do not want to hear. Friends, even in market corrections God is loving us. He loves us enough to allow us to get close enough to the heat to get a little burned…to become more refined. And for some it means taking a bath as He scrubs us clean. Friends, know this, love is at the heart of everything God does…even market corrections. God is not retributive; it is not about punishment, but rather it is restorative and refining. It is about setting things right, bringing us back into right relationships with God, with self, and with others. It takes endurance. There is no immediate gratification here, and so we wait with anticipation and apprehension. But still we wait in faith and hope in the reality that someday we are all going to stand before the judge of the universe. The evidence is overwhelmingly against us. The accuser will be there to tell of all the sins we have committed. Our only hope is to claim the benefit of the cross. Our only hope is to become disciplined in running the race of our life…and here with patience keep on doing that which has been set before us. Our charge is to pursue a life that matters. We are to accept the challenge to join in a journey that with each step brings us closer to God…living a life with purpose.
Pray we are willing to go through a correction so we might prepare the way for Jesus. Pray we prepare the way in our hearts for His coming. Pray Jesus is at work in our lives. Pray we stop worrying. Pray God’s peace rules in our lives. Pray we learn from life’s corrections. Pray we get to know God better and better. Pray we are prepared for the struggles that will come. Pray we not become discouraged. Pray we never quit. Pray we keep running the race. Pray we focus our attention on Jesus both now and later. Pray we be trophies of God’s amazing grace. Pray we reflect the refined image of God’s love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 