October 19, 2025
Happy Sunday,
President Trump’s second-term economic policy has been marked by tariffs and economic fluctuation (read our tariff explainer here). Our financial outlook is not merely a political issue; our posture toward money is profoundly spiritual.
Economic uncertainty has a unique power over us. We fear that we’ll lose what we strove so diligently to earn; that we won’t have what we need; that we’ll be dependent upon others. But the upside-down reality of life in God’s kingdom is that dependence is a good thing.
The danger with wealth is that it takes over our affection and trust, causing us to forget the Lord. Whether we’re fixated on building wealth or managing it, we’re depending on ourselves for security and hope. That’s not a life of faith. But this is:
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The LORD my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (CSB)
The economy had crumbled. But Habakkuk’s joy and strength remained because they were rooted in the Lord. Here’s how the apostle Paul puts it: “I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content” (Philippians 4:12, CSB). Spoiler: it’s Jesus.
Turn your heart to the One who owns everything:
King of Creation,
The global economy sits far outside the realm of what we can control.
We long for security, but we cannot guarantee it.
We crave certainty, but it eludes us.
We seek after prosperity, but it’s fickle.
But you need nothing from anyone.
All things come from you—
the cunning and skill to make wealth and the wealth itself1—
and all things are owed to you.2
We confess that we have used money to avoid dependence on you.
We confess that our hearts have prized earthly treasure.3
We confess to being tight-fisted and ungenerous with your gifts.
We have been anxious and self-sufficient.
But with you there is peace and contentment and eternal treasure.
When world leaders compete for the better end of the deal,
empower your people to model sacrificial love.
When the rich require bigger barns to store their wealth,
incline them to generosity.4
When economic policies threaten the vulnerable,
provide for their every need.
When we’re gripped by fear of an uncertain future,
teach us to seek your kingdom today and trust you for tomorrow.
When we’re overcome by an insatiable desire for wealth,
reorient us toward gratitude and contentment.5
Today, nations swap resources for comfort and glory.
But one day, all nations will end their negotiations,
bend their knees, and offer you tribute.6
Until then, may we recognize your kingship over every realm of our lives
and give you the offerings you deserve.
Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Steph Juliot
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