Overcast with 'thundering' activity

So, here's the weather forecast for the day: It's overcast with no visible signs of relief for the forseeable future, and there'll be lots of 'thundering' activity! No I'm not talking about the actual weather silly, I'm talking about the bleak financial outlook of our nation. What with congresses rejection of the $700 billion-tax-payer-dollar-bailout-plan (phew! That was a mouthful), there seems little that can be done to avert the inevitable. Finer, more astute minds than mine, have spent sleepless nights pondering the best way to resolve the current financial climate that threatens to derail global economies. All the indeces of the major stockmarkets in the world are dropping, as fears of an imminent collapse of the US financial market become more justified. I have had numerous conversations with friends who have vested interests (to varying degrees) for wanting to keep a close eye on the situation. Sadly, many of the reasons are fear based. How will this affect my family? How much do I stand to lose if it all goes belly-up? Will all my money still be worth what it's worth today? These, among many others, are some of the questions I hear bandied about regularly. I'm blissfully unaware of the right answers to all these questions (no, I don't need you to write back and educate me. I meant it when I said I am blissfully unaware).

I am however, quite aware of what my response should be in the midst of this looming crisis. David, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, writes:

"When all that is good falls apart, what can good people do? The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord sits on His throne (stately seat of power and authority) in heaven."

Psalm 1: 3-4 (New Century Version)

Wow! Do you see it? Hidden between those verses is the most profound and revealing approach to any crisis. When our world seems to be falling apart around us, David asks a relevant question: "What can good people do?" Amazingly, his answer is not an answer at all, but a statement. David boldly declares: "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord sits on His throne in heaven." Evidently our crisis did not take God by surprise. His power and authority are not diminished by the seriousness of our circumstance. He is not incapacitated by the severity of our situation. Our focus as Christians must be on God's greater purpose (which, believe it or not is often accomplished through hardship and suffering). In our world we avoid pain and seek peace and prosperity. In Gods, He uses pain to bring peace and prosperity. In our world we might say, "I'm going to live before I die!" In His He says, "Die so that you might live!" There is no confusing the facts. "Take up your cross and die daily" are His explicit instructions. We must die to our frivolous ideas of self-preservation, and trust that "He who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.... " How's the weather where you are?