Record Drop In Home Prices

As though more bad economic news is needed, Selected Cities Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index has reported that the prices of homes fell 19 percent in January, as compared to the previous year.

The evaluation uses 20 metropolitan areas and discovered that the worst hit area fell nearly 59%, with 13 more showing record declines. In addition, no market revealed any month-to-month improvement. Values in places like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco and San Diego dropped more than 40 percent causing David Blitzer, chairman of S&P’s index, to state, “There’s no daylight that I can see in this report.”

Rapid change and growing uncertainty have become commonplace in a nation where citizens have long enjoyed a fairly stable lifestyle. But today, troubling news invades constantly on a variety of fronts - the economy being the obvious leader at this juncture. And as the effects of a crumbling financial system trickle down, even those with large investments have felt the impact on their lives and futures. The growing question and controversy now is whether or not the government should take control and change the world’s greatest system of capitalism to one of socialism – something proven throughout history to not fare very well.

Today many formerly secure Americans are slowly realizing that nothing is guaranteed to stay the same. At the same time many Christians, who also share a dual heavenly citizenship, are again appreciating the blessing of a personal relationship with a loving, comforting, and stable God. And the current crisis has become, for some, a keen reminder of the safety and the security they enjoy in Jesus Christ.

While speaking of God’s coming Messenger the prophet Malachi made reference to the duration of the Creator. In chapter three, verse six he penned, "For I am the LORD, I do not change.” Then the writer of Hebrews in the New Testament affirmed the same truth when he wrote, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

Not only is God’s character changeless, but so are His promises - especially those dealing with man’s salvation. Jesus made this abundantly clear in John 10:28 declaring, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” Then, too, the most familiar verse in the Scriptures teaches the same. In John 3:16 Jesus reveals the duration of redemption. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The changes in the today’s modern world are real and rapid. And with some notable exceptions, they mostly fall on the negative side of the global ledger. But even this real trend is no real shock to Bible believers who know the disturbing and prophetic words beginning in 2 Timothy 3:1. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” The Greek word rendered ‘perilous’ in verse one carries the idea of something difficult, dangerous, fierce, and something that reduces strength.

For those outside God’s family of faith, the ever-changing world must be frustrating at best and absolutely frightening at worst. But for those in Christ, the world’s greatest pressures are superceded by scores of God’s even greater promises.

“For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Bill Breckenridge