2 CHRONICLES 7:14

The United States is said to be about fourteen trillion dollars in debt, with close to forty percent of all revenue collected going to pay the interest payments. And because our government cannot operate on the other sixty percent, we continue to borrow. There is an old saying that seems to apply here: "When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!" My suggestion is for America to elect Dave Ramsey as President.

Someone in Washington (no one would ever admit to it) came up with the brilliant idea of printing more currency to solve the problem. Unfortunately, foreign nations from whom we have borrowed, do not appreciate receiving repayment in "monopoly money." In other words, when we borrowed or purchased their exports on credit, our dollar was worth a specific exchange rate with their currency. Now, because we have printed so much money and our dollar is worth much less, when we make our payments, those to whom we are in debt are actually losing money. Why they continue to deal with us is a mystery to me!

Not only are foreign governments and investors losing, Americans are losing because our dollar buys less of what we need. The price of everything goes up, with foreign oil being the most obvious example. When oil prices rise, gasoline goes up; when gasoline goes up, products cost more to deliver to stores; when product prices rise, folks are unable to purchase things; as people begin "cutting back" on their spending, inventories grow; as inventories grow, manufacturing slows down, and workers are laid off; and because there are less workers paying taxes, our government must borrow more money to continue to operate.

Today, even the most conservative talk show hosts recommend people invest in gold to protect themselves against inflation. They say that the value of gold has steadily risen over the years, and so it is "a sure investment." What they fail to tell their listeners is that the reason gold has increased in value is because the dollar has decreased in its value. Several years ago, the song "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" had a line in it that said, "A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold." If our country continues down the road to financial bankruptcy, it won't be long before those words will be seen as being prophetic, and the "greatest nation on God's green Earth" will be a land of paupers!

My recommendation? Christians, instead of being spiritual and just praying for the peace of Jerusalem, I suggest you pray that our nation to heed 2 Chronicles 7:14! Once American Christians are no longer able to provide missionaries (be the light), or to fight against evil (be the salt), God will have no use for us. Then our nation will really be in trouble!