2020, the year of the Great Lockdown, leading to what someone are now calling the Great

Coronavirus Recession. It was triggered by a strategic wager, sacrifice economic momentum

in order to physically distance people all with the goal of starving and killing off a

spreading virus. It was a huge gamble, and it hurt.

Our Great Coronavirus Recession has been compared to the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, even

to the Great Depression of 1929 to 1933. Looking forward, something the economy will bounce

back to normal as soon as the virus is under control. Others are less optimistic and see

a long road ahead, but the recession is here, and it will remain until God is done with

it.

We talked about this a couple of weeks back when I mentioned John Piper preached a sermon

titled, What is the Recession for? He preached it in the previous recession, back in February

1st, 2009, the Dow had been dropping, but had not yet bottomed out by the time he preached

the sermon. The entire sermon is worth listening to, but I especially want to go back to the

beginning of that sermon. Here's how Pastor John began it.

Father our hearts desire now is that we not waste this recession. Forbid that we would

let it go by with a preoccupation of anxiety, or grumbling, or clever financial maneuvering.

Oh God, Grant, I pray that our ears would be open to what you are saying to the world,

the France, in Tokyo, in New York, in Brazil. May our eyes be open to what you are saying

and doing. Don't let us sleep through the recession. May we learn, may we grow, may we

hear, may we know your plan. Come be our teacher in these days. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

So this message about the recession and God's purposes in it. And when I use the term recession,

I don't have any careful, sophisticated definition in mind. I don't even know what the definition

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