Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Dow drops 777 - God winks
Have you missed me? I hope you enjoyed the interview with author Kathi Macias in August. I've found myself with so much work on my plate I'll have to blog when I have time...which might be hit and miss for a while.

That feels a little crazy to me with all that is going on in our country. The election. Sarah Palin's arrival on the scene. This financial situation.

But today I just had to chime in. Couldn't keep quiet. Here's why:

Yesterday the Congress voted down the package they've been working on that is supposed to help stabilize Wall Street, banking, and our financial situation. After the vote, the Dow fell 7%, the biggest drop in history they say.

When I heard the Dow had fallen 777 points, my head whipped around to make sure I had really heard what I thought I heard. 777 points?!

I wasn't surprised because of the large number. I was surprised because that means something to me. Of all the number of points the Dow could have fallen, it lost 777?

Okay, now I know this will open me up to ridicule and some of you will think this is nuts, but I'll say it anyway. If you're a Christian, I'm betting you're already thinking the same thing I'm thinking. Aren't you? Okay, if you're not getting it, here we go:

In the Bible, the number 7 is the number of perfection. The number 777 represents God.

Christian or not, you have probably heard of another number from Scripture. The number 6 is a little less than perfection (which means it falls short, meaning it is a loooooonnnng way from perfection). The number 666 represents that human who will try to replace God, according to the prophecies that will come true in our future.

So, yesterday I hear the Dow drops 777 points, and I immediately think, "That's God's number!" As time went on, I wondered, Am I reading too much into this? Did God intend to send a message that He is in this...which would imply it's going to be okay?

I decided I should ask, and so I began to ask God, "Did you mean to send a message...?" And like He often does, before the question got fully out of my mind, the answer was there. The voice from the TV then said Congress would not be meeting again to work on this until Thursday--due to the holiday. Rosh Hashanah!

That's when I knew for sure. I ask God to confirm and He answers by reminding me of what I knew yesterday morning when I looked at a calendar, but had forgotten. The break is for a holiday His people celebrate, a Jewish holiday! Message confirmed.

When my husband got home, I asked him if he heard how much the Dow had dropped. He said yes--777 points. I asked if that meant anything to him. He said, "Of course. God's saying don't worry about it. He's got us covered." See? It wasn't just me who took it that way. Message confirmed again.

I would bet money my husband and I are not the only ones who took it this way.

So what does this mean? Does this mean God will restore the Dow Jones and Wall Street to what it was before all this started? Not necessarily. But it does mean God is saying, "Trust Me." It means God is in it. He's paying attention. He's involved. He's in control. (Not the Congress. Not Wall Street. Not the markets or the banks. God. God is the only one Who is in control.)

It also means that we cannot rely on our own selves to provide for ourselves--we must rely on God. Our bank accounts and retirement accounts can vanish as quickly as the Twin Towers did. So much is out of our hands. But nothing is out of God's hands. He is in complete control. And the wise person invests in Him, invests time in knowing Him, and relies completely on Him for our every-days and for our future--not on bank accounts or money investments.

When God sends a message like this, I've heard some call it a "God wink." God is looking you straight in the eye, and He gives you a wink. It can't help but make you smile. I've seen God wink before. It doesn't happen often. It's always unexpected (not when I'm wanting to see it).

Until yesterday, it has almost always been private--a message just to me. (I know God winks as others, too!)

Last night, I saw on the TV the big board at Wall Street that showed the drop: -777.68. There it was for all the world to see. But I have a hunch most people who saw that number in lights didn't see the God wink. Only those who are linked in to God, who know Him, who listen to Him, who recognize Him and His ways, understood.

What about you? Did you understand? Were you listening? Did you get the message? Did you see God wink?

I don't know what will happen with the Dow Jones, Wall Street, or banking America--or this election--but I do know for certain that for those who depend on God, no matter what happens, it'll be okay.
Posted by Dianne E. Butts at 8:32 AM