For years now, many in our nation have been warning of the coming collapse of our nation’s economy. The signs were easy to see. But most were unaware, or didn’t take the time to understand them. I’ve written a lot over the last number of years about the coming economic collapse.
At the same time as many were warning about the economy, others were warning about the potential of a pandemic. History teaches us that pandemics are a reality of our fallen world. Sooner or later these global events appear, and when they do, many lives are lost and the entire world is disrupted.
Whether this pandemic and the associated disruptions are natural, or self-inflicted, is beyond my ability to know for certain. While I may have my own views, at the end of the day, my little place in this world is of such inconsequence to something as pervasive as the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching effects, that my theories about it’s origination are meaningless. Furthermore, you and I have zero potential to redirect the path our nation and world are speeding down.
But that’s not what I wanted to discuss today. Rather, I wanted to address the principle that is taught in a verse from Proverbs, the book of wisdom in the Bible. Note what Solomon had to say:
💡”A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:4
Approximately 1,000 years after Solomon penned the above principle, one of Solomon’s descendants, the King who will ultimately sit and rule the world from the throne that Solomon occupied, had this to say about how we know when storms are threatening:
💡”Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right.” Luke 12:54
When you look out your window and see dark clouds gathering, the wind picking up, animals scurrying about, and other such signs, you can normally predict that there is a storm coming. From the place where we live, up atop a hill that sees miles off into the horizon, we regularly see this happening. It’s quite easy to predict what will occur in the next few moments when we see the band of rain headed our direction.
In a way, I believe the responses that we take when we see a physical storm is coming, can be applied to the current COVID-19 crisis. Let me explain.
If you could go back 90 days, prior to the escalation of the COVID-19 crisis, and you knew then what you know now, would you do anything differently then? I have no doubt you would, just as I would. I’d be willing to speculate that you would have at least purchased more toilet tissue, or some other consumable. Right? But there are probably other steps you would have taken then, that today you are incapable of addressing.
So let’s look at where we are today and then try to fast forward a few weeks or months into the future. Are there any dark, ominous storm clouds on the horizon that warn of some difficult times ahead? Are there signals that the worst could still be yet to come? Do you believe that opening up the economy is just going to magically bring back to reality what we might have been enjoying just a few short months ago?
The answers for me to all of those question are resoundingly clear. Additionally though, my gut, along with so many of the reports I read, are warning that the clouds are bringing an even more ominous storm. Is it possible I could be wrong? Absolutely. But when your smartphone alerts you to a “Tornado Warning” and you take cover, are you angry afterwards if the tornado did not materialize? Or are you simply thankful that the plan you put in place was sufficient to protect you, had the tornado destroyed your home?
From an early age I was taught that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In this case, “a prudent person forsees danger and takes precaution.” There are strong indications that what is to come in the remaining chapters of this COVID-19 crisis, and beyond, could be worse. If so, what should you do?
Well, only you can decide what are the appropriate steps that you should take for you and your family. But at the very minimum, consider what you wish you would have done 90 days ago. If you have not yet addressed those steps, then what about starting there? Is it possible that over the next 30-60 days you could formulate a plan to check off those items?
Beyond that though, here are a few other ideas that I shared previously, in another article I penned four years ago. In this article, I offered a number of practical steps you and I can take and should be taking immediately, to respond to the storm clouds we all see.
If the last 60+ days should convince us of one thing, it should be that the unimaginable can in fact occur. To delay today is to be sorry tomorrow. Today you can act. Tomorrow may be too late.
I hesitated to write this article, particularly in this day and time. It seems that anything one writes or posits in this current era, invariably results in arguments, dissension, and sore feelings. I do not wish to cause any of the sort. However, neither do I believe that what I share is beyond scrutiny. So, where we might diverge in our views, I would hope that we could do so respectfully and without resorting to inflammatory remarks, or disparaging attacks. But since I do believe that iron can sharpen iron, I welcome additional thoughts and perspectives.
That said, I must affirm that my source of Truth is the Bible. You may have a different source, and if so, I’m ok with that. I don’t intend to twist your arm to believe that my source is THE source. But it stands to reason, that only one source can be accurate, when various sources disagree as to Truth itself. As I’ve tested and ingested the Bible over many years now, I am 100% convinced that it is Truth, because it was authored by God Himself, through the inspiration and guidance of mortal men. And it consistently convicts, instructs, and directs my life.
So, with that as a background, I wanted to address something that has been quietly at work within me since the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis. First, let me say that I am not one to dabble in conspiracy theories… at least not lately. There was a time in my life when I regularly focused on all sorts of conspiracies, normally those dealing with government and power, which invariably included wealth. And wow did that take up an inordinate amount of my time and focus.
But several years ago I began an intentional time of study of God’s Word, that continues to this day, and I came across this passage that specifically addresses conspiracies:
“Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.” Isaiah 8:12-13
Conspiracies, at their heart, typically involve emotions: Fear, Dread, Anger, Resentment, Anxiety, etc. Too often when emotions come into play, we frequently leave logic and faith behind. The Bible speaks of fear many times and from numerous vantage points. But one thing is certain, the fear that is associated with conspiracies is not of God. In fact, the verse above in Isaiah specifically instructs us not to fear or dread what the general population does, and 2 Timothy 1:7 asserts specifically that fear does not come from God:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
But there is One whom we should fear, and it’s God Himself. Jesus told us the reason we should fear His Father:
“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.” Luke 12:4-5
So if conspiracies evoke fear, or anger, and many other negative emotions, which are not from God, and the Bible speaks specifically against overindulging in conspiracies, why would I want to go down those rabbit holes, for which there are often no absolute certainty as to their accuracy?
Since the Bible warns about fear and conspiracies, I have greatly resisted the temptation to begin chasing the many theories about COVID-19 that are regularly promoted by our culture. Social media is one of the great platforms that promotes all sorts of conspiracies… #fakenews as it’s commonly referred to these days.
But one man’s #fakenews is another man’s gospel truth.
So what do we believe? And what deserves our undivided attention? This seem to be the real struggle these days with most of what we read, watch, or consume mentally.
So as the Coronavirus pandemic has continued to extend, and wreak such havoc and devastation locally, nationally, and globally, I believe it would be foolish to not at least consider other alternative explanations for what is causing such calamity to so many.
Since my source of Truth is the Bible, then I think it bears mentioning that this ancient Book identifies who it is that is invested in wreaking havoc, confusion and dissension. In fact, Jesus had this to say about the one I am referring to:
“He (the devil) is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
Additionally, we read this about Satan the deceiver, in the final book of the Bible:
“This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” Revelation 12:9
While God is at work here on our globe, so is Satan. His lies and deception are ever present throughout all the ages. His primary objective is to deceive mankind, individually and collectively, and to lead us away from God. Given the fact that Satan is the master deceiver, it can only be concluded that many of us could easily fall for his slick lies. And he can package them in the most credible arguments that millions, if not billions could embrace. The term #fakenews is a recent term in our culture, but Satan has been packaging fake news since the first moments of man’s existence on the earth.
So what does all this have with COVID-19? Well, in our lifetimes, and perhaps in the history of the world, there has never been a moment in time like the one in which we are living. The entire world, including hundreds of nations, collectively agreed on a common response to a worldwide phenomena. That in and of itself is unprecedented. Think about that. Within weeks, if not days, all of the civilized world closed down. And with this closure, literally billions of people were dramatically impacted. In America alone, tens of millions of our fellow Americans lost their paychecks. Overnight. With no warning. More people are unemployed than in the Great Depression.
But I believe God is sovereign. So nothing happens here on this globe, or in your life, that God has not either caused, or allowed. But as true as this reality is, there is another Truth to consider during this crisis. Satan, while not sovereign, has been given broad discretion to operate deceptively amongst us, with a diabolical scheme to destroy all that is good. Remember, Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 2:2) And we are also told that he “walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 1:8)
So if COVID-19 has wreaked havoc, death, and destruction, and the loudest voices across the entire globe are trumpeting a synonymous message, is it possible their message is one that is deceptive, whether purposeful or ignorantly? I think the answer must be “Yes it is possible” — at least it is for me.
So, if the above is true, that the solutions and conclusions that are being promoted by our leaders could be false, or incorrect, then what is True? Sadly, I cannot personally say. Nor can I yet decipher from the other conflicting voices and messages. But is it worth listening to them, in moderation, in order to derive truth, so that we can respond correctly?
Again, I think the answer is Yes, at least for me.
But here is where I am responding differently today than I might have five or ten years ago. Then, I would have gone all in on investigating and researching, to the extreme, the alternative responses to COVID-19. I would have become obsessed with viewing and reading the unlimited options available to overdose on “conspiracy-mania.” This is how we get sucked in to an unhealthy, and I believe unscriptural, response to this crisis. So I would ask you to consider that there is nothing that you might discover, even if it were the conclusive “smoking gun” behind this crisis, that will change the world, or Washington DC, or your state, or your community. Nothing.
So if there is nothing you might discover that will change much of anything about COVID-19, then why try to find out? I think the primary reason to attempt to decipher the truth of this crisis, within moderation, is to better equip yourself, your family, and your community, with a plan to respond to whatever might come next. This is not because we fear what might come next, but rather because the Bible tells us that:
”A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:3
Is there danger ahead? I think so. Should we prepare ourselves? Yes, if possible. But should we fear or obsess over it? Absolutely not. God is our refuge. Our tower. Our strength. We have no need to fear since there is no conspiracy that He did not already foreknow. Furthermore, we know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
But finally, this is the greatest reason to not obsess over conspiracies, or go to herculean efforts to try to discover what likely cannot be known with certainty. If you were to know all there is to know about the origination of the Coronavirus, it would have little, or perhaps no, impact on your soul, or the soul of your neighbors. Remember what Jesus said in the verse above: “don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.”
In that short statement, Jesus was contrasting the temporal, your physical life, with the eternal, your spiritual life. The loss of a life here on earth is of eternal insignificance when compared with the loss of a spiritual life in the life to come. So why would you and I obsess over conspiracies of the Coronavirus, which are temporal at best, when all around us are souls who are potentially facing a spiritual virus whose curse is eternal?
If Jesus, or any of the Apostles were here today, I can hardly believe that they would set aside their God-ordained purpose, to get caught up in pursuing the cause of a global pandemic. Rather, I believe they would do today, exactly what they did in their time. They would “love God and love their neighbor as themselves.” And that love would propel them to redouble their efforts to share the only news that has the power to overcome conspiracies, COVID-19, and the father of lies. So we should strive to do what John commanded us to do:
The government has been talking about fiscal responses and solutions to the nightmare the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking in our nation and world. Those responses include multi-trillion dollar price tags. Given the panic and hysteria that we see from across this nation, does anyone really know whether such responses will help, or just postpone the inevitable collapse of an economy that has been propped up, for too many decades, by destructive credit policies? Is it possible that the coronavirus is simply the proverbially, “straw that finally broke the camel’s back?”
A couple of weeks ago, in a knee-jerk response, the current administration offered a $1 trillion “mini solution” and the markets tanked as it was being announced. Then, a week ago, the President suggested the idea of stimulus checks of $1,000 to every American, with a price tag of approximately $1 trillion dollars. But Trump had no more gotten that idea out of his mouth, when others were suggesting that wasn’t enough. Now, that “measly” trillion dollars has ballooned to $3-4 trillion and the individual stimulus checks are several thousand dollars for most citizens. And if I were a betting man, I’d wager we still haven’t seen the upward limit of the free money that is going to be printed up and distributed to a populace in need.
There is no doubt that our families, neighbors and citizens are in need. Consider that 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and millions of our neighbors have now lost their jobs for an indefinite period of time because of the closure of their employers by our government. The ability for these unemployed families to even pay for toilet paper (if it were available), but more importantly bread, eggs and milk, is not just limited, but unlikely.
▪️Is Government Liable?
So, if the government, in its estimation, believes that shutting down businesses is the best course of action to protect lives, then it seems that government is liable for making the affected workers (and perhaps businesses) whole. Without debating the decision itself, I believe under any other circumstances, this would likely be the conclusion of any court were it to be adjudicated in front of a judge.
There has never been a scenario like this in our history, of which I’m aware. But the bigger issue is this. Even if the government is liable to the individuals it is harming by its efforts to protect lives, how does our government cover its liability? In an ordinary situation between two parties, if one party harms another, the offending party must make the offended party whole, OUT OF ITS OWN RESOUCES.
In this case, the government is the offending party (in an effort to save lives, which I happen to agree with). The unemployed citizens are the offended party. So what are the government’s resources? Resources equal assets. But one cannot ignore liabilities when discussing resources. In the case of our nation, not only do we have a current national debt of $23,000,000,000,000 (that’s trillion), but we have additional unfunded liabilities for things like Medicare, Medicaid, and such, that total over $150 Trillion in debt. We don’t have the ability to pay the $23 trillion in current debt, so do you think we can pay the $150 trillion that is coming due in the upcoming years?
So where are the trillions going to come from to cover these stimulus checks and bailouts that are forthcoming? Yes, I’ve read that some of the amounts extended by the Feds will be in the form of loans, but that begs the question. Where do all the trillions of dollars come from? The answer is they will come from the same unsound credit policies as the Feds have used for years to cover their previous trillion dollar deficits.
▪️Your Rich Uncle
Consider this though. If you were living lavishly for decades off of a credit card that had an unlimited credit line from your rich uncle, and your uncle finally stepped up and said, “No More!” what would that do to your lifestyle? Particularly, what would you do when the uncle demanded you pay the credit card balance, when you had no ability to do so? Can you say BANKRUPTCY?
In this case, the “rich uncle” for America has been the exceptional privilege America has profited off of as the world’s reserve currency. Other nations and investors have extended credit to us for decades because we were perceived to be a better risk than any other option out there. But more and more, our stellar credit status has been dropping. And again, if I were a betting man, I would wager that this vast Ponzi scheme that our Federal government has been engaged in for years, with the help of both political parties, is about to come to an end.
Am I a doomsday prophet? No. I’ve been writing about this coming collapse for years. And it’s not because I have the mental wherewithal to figure it all out, but rather because there are people much smarter than me who have been warning of this for decades as well. But no one is listening.
▪️Where is the Hope?
But you may ask, “so if there’s no fiscal solution, where is the Hope?”
Well, while I don’t believe there is a permanent solution to the fiscal nightmare we are now living through, I do believe there is Hope for each of us individually. But it will require each of us to think outside the box; to consider options we haven’t considered before; to prepare for what could happen. And if, by some providential move, we are granted another brief period of reprieve from the inevitable coming economic collapse, we should not be lulled into believing that our genius leaders have saved the day. When a doctor causes a fatal wound, but he then puts a bandage on the hemorrhaging gash he caused, you wouldn’t then sit back and start enjoying your “bon-bons” believing that the negligent doctor saved the day, would you? You also wouldn’t congratulate the doctor on a job well done.
▪️What to do?
So what should you and I do? In a minute I’ll share what my first step would be. But here are a few suggestions:
I would prioritize the welfare of my family and loved ones, and then my neighbors, if possible. If you could rewind your life 30-45 days, knowing what you know now, what would you have done then to prepare for where we are today? Likewise, if you took a few minutes to consider where things might be in 30-90 days, if things not only don’t get better, but rather they get exponentially worse, what would you wish then that you would have done today?
In other words “Prepare.” The old “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” should guide your steps.
Nearly a decade ago a group of my friends and I began meeting over the course of a year or so to “Prep” for the possibility of an economic collapse. We put together checklists and discussed steps we should all take in the event that something like we are seeing actually occurred. At the time many would have suggested we were alarmists or worse. But those meetings were extremely helpful in preparing us for what did finally occur these last few weeks. (See the three hyperlinks above for the documents we prepared then.)
Now I don’t share this to suggest that all the items on my checklists in 2011 and 2012 were addressed. I wish I had some more toilet paper perhaps! But the “ounce of prevention” philosophy is one I can encourage you to consider as well. If you’re stuck at home, you now have time to consider what you would do for your family to prepare for what could occur in the future.
Our nation’s fiscal situation has not improved in the last 8 years. In fact, it has gotten exponentially worse. And that was before another several trillion dollars is being borrowed, printed, or created out of thin air, by the big spenders in Washington. So, if the coronavirus is in fact the straw that’s finally exposing our fiscal foolishness as a nation, what could that next straw be? I don’t know. But I also don’t want to be unprepared.
▪️Our Ultimate Hope
So I mentioned I’d share what my first step would be and here it is. I would turn my heart and mind to God during this dire crisis. The greatest threat to you and me today isn’t the COVID-19 virus. Rather, it’s the universal virus that we all share, one that entices us to replace God our Creator, with our own false gods. The gods of wealth, sports, entertainment, politics, pleasure, career, business, travel, or whatever else might be in the forefront of your life and mine. It’s a universal temptation to elevate something temporal, that does not satisfy, in place of the One who is eternal, and completely satisfies.
God is speaking through this crisis. In fact, I would suggest this is God’s crisis. Throughout the Bible we see that it is God that brings both “calamity and good” and “He controls the course of world events.” He does so to get our attention, to disrupt our lives, in order to turn our hearts back to Him. We are a proud people and an even prouder nation. But God resists the proud and even humiliates them. But He also elevates the humble. Could there be any greater example of God humiliating a proud nation and even world than what is happening now as all those “gods” we worshipped are crumbling before us?
So, if there is one silver lining in all this, it is that we all have time to turn back to Him. We have time to open His Word. We have time to fall on our knees. And as we do, we will begin to hear what it is God is speaking to us individually, so that we can repent and turn to Him. As we do, we will find the Hope and Encouragement that is so desperately needed “for such a time as this.”
💡“God controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” Daniel 2:21
💡“Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:37-40
Coronavirus. It’s all we hear about. Our minds think about it. Our actions are guided by it. The threat is real. People are dying. And we all have questions. Many of them have no answers, at least not yet.
So there’s a lot of ugliness to this virus, and a lot of bad repercussions, whether you believe it’s no worse than the flu, or whether you believe as the experts do.
But, whenever there is something bad that occurs in life, there’s also good that can come from it. Sometimes we don’t understand the good for days or years. But it’s there.
My worldview is guided by the Bible. There are so many passages that help in times like these. But here’s one for those of us who have embraced it as our supreme authority:
💡“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28
For some this verse may make no sense at all. But for others, like me, it not only makes sense, but it offers comfort.
But besides the “spiritual” aspect to what “good” may ultimately come from this pandemic, there are many other practical realities, that we can all take advantage of to see some good come from all this.
So let’s list some:
More time with family.
Opportunity to refocus our thoughts and actions to that which is important and lasting.
Time to read a book, write a letter or essay, compose a song, or enjoy playing your favorite musical instrument.
Time to teach our children important, valuable lessons.
Time to focus on our health, and our family’s, if necessary.
Determining if there are ways we can help our neighbors, and those in need, working within the confines of the restrictions on our mobility.
Opportunity to pray in a more meaningful and deliberate manner.
Most importantly, time to seek God, through Bible reading, prayer and meditation.
In response to time with God, evaluating our lives to see where we have strayed from Him and how it is we should redirect our steps.
But what about you? How are you spending your time? What are some ways you are looking beyond the ugly and the bad of the coronavirus crisis and focusing on the good we can all find as a result of it?
Live Free… find the good!
💡“Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” Zephaniah 2:3
