Modern-Day Micah
It was good to see Rick going off on his Wall Street rant -- another indication of the salutary influence that preaching through the minor prophets has had on him. I recently read through his manuscript on Micah and can tell everyone that it will make an excellent contribution to the Reformed Expository Commentary.
One of my observations about the (non) crisis in the economic markets is how much hand-wringing there is over the specter of recession, even though the actual downturn in our total economy may be as little as 1% (!).
It was refreshing to be with Christians from across the country at my 20th homecoming at Wheaton College a few weeks ago, right at the very worst moments (so far) of the financial mess. The gloom from the media was in marked contrast to the cheerful disposition of people who really do trust the Lord for their daily bread.
One friend was excited to share that a colleague in financial services had finally -- after a year of prayer and invitation -- agreed to attend an evangelistic Bible study. After everything he had been through at work, he decided it was finally time to hear what God had to say. My friend remarked, "A couple of weeks ago I told my wife that I would give anything for this friend to come to my Bible study, and as it turns out, I just about have!" He was referring, of course, to his own losses. He also told me that it was all worth it to see his friend have a personal encounter with the Word of God.