It begins May 1. Did we ever think that there would come the day when most everyone would be getting a check from the government?

It is true that the government is supposed to fix everything, right? The sagging economy, the mounting credit card debt, home foreclosures, and the need to drop interest rates again points to the fact that the government has failed us. It is the government’s problem. We do not have to live within our means, buy a house we can afford, say “no” to the stacks of stuff we get so easily with a credit card, or try to save a portion of our income for emergencies. We are Americans! We can spend more than we make and we can buy more than we can afford. The successful are those who are buying bigger and better setting the example for the rest of the nation. If we have to borrow from other nations, even those who do not share our democratic ideals, that’s just fine, so long as we can keep buying and spending and working furiously to fill those land fills. We can consume most of the world’s food supply and even have some to throw away, that’s because we are Americans.

I want to share a verse from the Bible I shared with my congregation a few weeks ago.

The middle chapter of the Bible is Psalm 118. These are verses 8 and 9 of that Psalm, which we may see as the central message of the entire Bible, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” Could it be that the reason for our problems is that we have placed our confidence in the wrong place? Have we forgotten that all those who promise a good deal are in it for a profit, much of which is made in the fine print or when we are not paying attention? We watch the political candidates for president, hoping to find one that can propel us back to the path of prosperity, only to hear the current president say that the Congress is standing in the way of making that happen. We have tried to often to “take refuge” in mortals and put our “confidence” in political leaders.

What would God tell us to do in this situation? First we admit we have been wrong. We admit we have not taken our responsibilities seriously and made ourselves accountable for our spending and living styles. We must remember we are first spiritual beings. We know we are empty inside. We try to fill that emptiness with a bigger house, more stuff, a newer car, a bigger vacation, all the while finding life more empty, thinking the reason is we aren’t spending and accumulating fast enough.

Everyone has a need to know God. It is from our pursuit of that relationship that we find the peace we need, and that emptiness is satisfied.

So what are you going to do with your check from the government? Will you spend it hoping more coming soon? Do you need it for food and gasoline? Will it just be mad-money? Will you save it? Will you send it back to pay down the national debt? Will you give it to your church? Will you give it to your children or grandchildren?

The check is coming. I hope that each of us will take some time to look at it, and ponder just what this means. It will be another opportunity to “take refuge” in the government and to put our “confidence” in political leaders, both of which will lead us to further disappointment and further emptiness.

If you don’t have a church home, this would be a great time to find one. There are Christians in the community who worship together and encourage each other on this spiritual journey we call life. They would be glad to welcome you and help you in your pursuit of knowing God. In that alone there is the peace we all so desperately need.