“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
—  Jeremiah 33:3, The New International Version 

Sunday I found myself watching 60 Minutes. Almost the whole episode. Can’t remember the last time I did that, especially when Sunday night football was on. Anyway, one of their pieces was on credit default swaps. I never even heard of those, but reading the quote above reminded me about the piece.

In summary (from from my non-financial viewpoint), credit default swaps were made illegal early in the 20th century. And then in 2000 the government made it legal once again to bet on the financial market. Yes, they not only legalized gambling on stocks , but did not regulate it all. Without actually buying the stock, you could bet on whether it would go up or down. This move, the report says, is in a large part responsible for the current economic crisis, as people and companies bet on things like whether the mortgage market will go up or down. The major financial institutions like AIG and others have failed because they could not repay these credit default swaps. Credit default swaps were outlawed decades ago when they were blamed for the stock market crash of 1907. So, why did I start thinking about these CDS after reading Jeremiah 33:3?

“things you do not know”

My human nature is to want to know. Not only a curiosity about things but about things that are yet to be. Not so much why the sky is blue, but will there be a blue sky tomorrow? While I don’t venture much to the casino, I have played fantasy football for probably 15 years. Yes, some times for money, but always for the fellowship. Don’t laugh. But at its core, fantasy football is about speculation and guessing what will happen in the future. Like credit default swaps. What is going to happen in the future?

While I don’t want to ask God how Brett Favre will do this year, or whether when the current economic crisis will turn around, what am I asking Him?

Am I asking Him how to spend my energy? Who to pray for? Where to send financial support?
Am I searching for the next book that HE wants me to read?

God, what do YOU want me to know today that will increase my servitude for you?

Are those the types of questions I am asking? Is that where I choose to spend my speculative energy?

I am also now reminded about those timeless words, “it isn’t what you know, it’s WHO you know”.

He is my hope. My redeemer. My light in the darkness.