United States Debt

When I consider all the trends that will cause the United States to cease being a significant factor in world politics, the one that seems most likely to render us impotent is our huge and rapidly accelerating debt. Even the New York Times is sounding alarms and this Leftist publication is fully aligned with our government's socialist objectives.

We have heard that in President Obama's recent visit to China, the Chinese officials questioned him about his plans to reform health care. The Chinese made it clear that "the public option" was a bad idea because of what it would do to the U.S. debt load. China is the number one foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities. If the Chinese decide not to continue financing our debt, the value of the dollar will plummet. Wealth would evaporate and as the Soviet Union found itself on the sidelines of the world stage virtually over night, such a loss of confidence in the dollar will cause the United States to join them there just as rapidly.

It is amazingly ironic that the communist Chinese are more concerned about the cost of socialized medicine than the President and the Congress. Certainly the Chinese have a lot invested in America so they don't want to see us fail. But if our government continues its reckless spending ways in the form of "health care reform," pork-laden stimulus bills, and government bail-outs; the Chinese will eventually have to say enough is enough and call in the debt.

Watch out if the Chinese government suddenly changes its position and starts encouraging the U.S. to take on more debt... this will be a sign that they are about to pull the plug on our debt and write off the loss. They don't need to defeat us militarily in order to replace us on the world stage.

I'd like to think that the looming U.S. financial reckoning will happen after the Rapture of the Church but at the rate in which world-shaking events are happening, it is very likely this will not be the case. God is watching us and will make an example of the United States if we don't soon repent of our sinful, gluttonous indebtedness. As Habakkuk 2:6-7 says, "Woe to him who increases what is not his-- how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges? Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty." (NKJ)

On an individual level, the best preparation for the coming financial collapse that I can see is to buy gold... I'm just kidding but I couldn't resist. The gold investment hucksters are more active than I've ever seen. I don't know how long gold will hold up as a good investment but James 5:3 tells us that the time is coming when it will be a very bad investment. The Lord gave us sound investment advice in Luke 16:9: "make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (NKJ).

The best advice for these days of financial uncertainty is to make sure we are applying the principles God gave us in His Word. This is not a time to "trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17, NKJ).