We live in a society where many things are considered good.” Having success in business, education, or sports is “good.” Marrying the all America girl is “good.” That one might even be considered great. Our iconic portrayal of an American family consisting of a middle class family with 2.5 kids and a dog in the suburbs and a white picket fence that encloses their perfect garden, is “good”. It has come to be the status symbol of Americana. We try so hard to acquire those “good things”, don’t we?
In the 1970s a man by the name of Lewis Ranieri invented the idea of mortgage-backed-securities (MBS). Fast for-ward 37 years and mortgage-backed securities would play a major role in the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-09. People wanted those “good things”. Americans wanted the white picket fence and the iconic family that was portrayed to the masses on TV shows like “Leave It to Beaver,” and the banking industries gave it to them. Millions of people who could not afford the big house with the 3 car garage and all the toys got them anyways. Sure, they were sold a bad bill of sale. The loans started out with low “teaser” rates and eventually become unaffordable over time, but Americans wanted their status symbols; we wanted those “good” things.
Check this out – Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good.” Do you want something truly good? In the oracle concerning the wealthy, soon to be destroyed Nineveh, the prophet Nahum says that the Lord is good. In a time when idolatry was rampant and riches and precious things were without end, Nineveh put all its faith in the “good things” of the world instead of with the Lord who is good. We sometimes make the same mistakes don’t we? After all, worshiping the creation over the creator doesn’t just happen in the vacuum of sexual desire (Romans 1:21-23).
After the dust had settled in 2007-09, 7 million people had lost their homes, many lost their identities and some “good” Christians had to step back and take stock of what really mattered. Because, sometimes, people put their faith in the wrong things. Having or not having “good things” in this life is not a measure of a person’s faith.
When the walls of our universe seem to be crumbling around us, the faith we need can be found in Nahum 1:7
“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes.
He is close to those who trust in Him.”