In this age of digital communication, ideas, facts, and transactions which once took days, weeks, and possibly months now flow around the world instantaneously.

Consider the day-to-day financial transactions of a typical household.

Paychecks are directly deposited into bank accounts, supported either by a digital pay record or a bank verification email which indicates the money has been posted to one’s account.

Most household obligations such as rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, car payments, bank or investment savings, various subscriptions, insurance premiums, and an array of other demands against household funds occur via automated payment arrangements which zap money from a predetermined bank account(s).

A trip to the grocery store, a gas station, a restaurant, or the local coffee shop is transacted with the swipe of a debit or credit card, an app on one’s phone, or the display on one’s watch. Even charitable giving at many churches has gone the route of a phone app.

Why?

It’s convenient and it serves the purpose.

Let me ask you a question, when was the last time you intentionally and routinely used cash?

I normally withdrawal some money to have on hand for incidentals, I fold it, and stash it in my wallet and rarely look at it.

Until recently.

On the front of the $20 bill in my wallet it reads, “Federal Reserve Note” shown with an image of Andrew Jackson. On the back of the greenback, one can find the inscription “The United States of America – In God We Trust” and immediately below it is an image of The White House.

It’s time for a quick left turn in an effort to emphasize the “In God We Trust” declaration reflected on our currency.

During the Christmas season, many holiday movies are viewed in our household. Some are new premieres. There are always the classics to re-watch – It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, The Nativity Story, Home Alone, and Miracle on 34th Street to name a few.

This year, the 1994 re-make of the original 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street captured my attention. I can’t get a particular scene out of my mind and in a good way, it has not let go since. The scene is on my mind on an almost daily basis.

I keep hearing the phrase, “and the people rejoiced”.

Near the end of the movie, Kris Kringle is on trial and evidence to prove or disprove the existence of Mr. Kringle as Santa Claus is presented in the people’s court in what amounts to a legal volleyball game. The judge, in a quandary on how to rule in the case, is about to announce his decision.

The pendulum appears to point in the direction of a ruling against Kris Kringle and his amicable profession of delivering Christmas cheer to on one and all each Christmas Eve as Santa Claus. The people in the courtroom seem nervous and discouraged as they await the pending outcome of the case.

All hope seems lost.

Unexpectedly, a young girl who is a friend of the defense attorney, approaches the bench and hands the judge a Christmas card. Inside the card is a one dollar bill.

The judge reads the card and inspects the dollar bill to find the phrase “In God We Trust” circled in red.

The judge is initially perplexed, takes a moment to reflect, then realizes he has his out on ruling against Kris Kringle as Santa Claus as in doing so he would be swimming upstream against the popular sentiment. He presents the document to the courtroom packed with people and states:

“In presenting me with this bill she (the little girl) reminded me it is issued by the Treasury of the United States government. It’s backed by the government and the people of the United States of America. Upon inspection of the article, you will see the words “in God we trust”. We’re not here to prove God exists, but we are here to prove that a being just as invisible and yet just as present exists.

The federal government puts its trust in God. It does so on faith and faith alone. It’s the will of the people that guides the government and it is and was their collective faith in a greater being that gave and gives cause to the inscription on this bill. Now if the government of the United States can issue its currency bearing a declaration of its trust in God without demanding physical evidence of the existence or the non-existence of a greater being, then the State of New York by a similar demonstration of the collective faith of it’s people can accept and acknowledge that Santa Claus does exist and he exists in the person of Kris Kringle.”

Crowds are gathered and fill the streets outside and below the courthouse, awaiting the decision at high noon.

The clock rests at 11:59.

Upon hearing the above verdict, the court bailiff opens the window and declares to the awaiting populace inside and outside the courtroom – “Case dismissed – Santa Claus wins!”

And the people rejoiced!

It is a feel good moment.

My intention is not to trivialize the conditions we face in our country today to a scene from a Christmas movie. However, there is a point to be made in declaring, “In God we trust.”

Tensions are high and swing like a great pendulum on a moment-by-moment basis in our country and in fact, the world.

Where once civil debate occurred in the halls of our government, vitriol is now the working order.

Corruption, the taking of innocent life, and deceit have worn out their welcome. A resounding “enough is enough” is echoed in the heavens and a line has been drawn.

God will only tolerate so much.

We are in the midst of a divine shaking and God is setting the stage where He alone will not only intervene, but He will cause all to look to Him as the the Prince of Peace in this utterly chaotic time in our nation.

The story we are now living can be distilled to the molecular level and can be personified as Good vs. Evil. There exists a great battle between the forces of heaven and the forces of hell.

Hell will eventually fall to the designs of heaven.

According to Lance Wallnau, author of God’s Chaos Code he states,

“Jesus said, the reason why there is going to be this great shaking that was coming upon the Earth is because the powers of the heavens are going to be shaken….The powers that are militating against the Lord Jesus Christ because His blood has purchased to Him the nations of the Earth and the right to rule over the affairs of men.”

The book of Proverbs states,

“When the wicked are in power, lawlessness abounds. But the patient lovers of God will one day watch in triumph as their stronghold topples.” (Proverbs 29:16 The Passion Translation)

Proverbs also sheds this light,

“Where this is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.” (Proverbs 28:2 The Passion Translation)

One could easily yield to despair.

If we were honest with each other you and I may not have been broken, but we have certainly bent under the weight of it all given the events of the past twelve months.

We do the best we can in living our day-to-day lives on a normal basis. Throw in a pandemic, in addition to unparalleled political and civil unrest and we collectively scream, enough is enough!

We are warned,

“Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man (nation) reaps what he (they) sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh…will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit…will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7 NIV)

My mind continues to go to the final scene of the movie.

In this case, it is not to the Miracle on 34th Street. It is focused on Main Street, USA. My heart and mind are inclined to recognize this,

“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT)

As a nation, when we place our hope on “in God we trust” I can only see one thing as a result in our individual and collective experience – “and the people rejoiced!”

AND THE PEOPLE REJOICED!!!