In December of 1973 the USA was in a precarious situation.  Inflation rates were starting to run away, 8%, 9%, 10%. There was an oil shortage and cars were lined up at gas stations.   Shortages of food popped up across the nation. It appeared to those at the time that all the abundance & prosperity Americans had was about to be snatched away. 

On December 19, 1973, Johnny Carson walked on to the live set of THE TONIGHT SHOW and made one of his opening monologue jokes, “There’s an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States.” He swung his invisible golf club, took a commercial break, and went on with the show. But it wasn’t funny to the millions of nervous viewers.

The next morning hundreds of thousands of frantic shoppers lined up outside supermarkets to buy toilet paper. They dashed in. There were brawls and arguments. Some stores limited 4 rolls to a customer. By noon on December 20^th, America was sold out of toilet paper.

We live in precarious economic times, but there is no reason to panic.  History has shown that panic only makes the situation worse. This is the time for us to pray, to worship, and to focus on the one who doesn’t fluctuate with the stock market - God.