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| The topic
of debt can be a sensitive subject for many Christians today. Borrowing money is a widely accepted part of
our culture, causing both believers and nonbelievers to take out mortgages,
finance cars, and run up credit card bills with little forethought. Many people see going into debt as their only
option when faced with tough financial circumstances. However, God gives Christians another option:
trusting Him.
In chapter
four of his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells them that God will provide
for all their needs “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Examples of God’s provision are shown
throughout the Bible. In the book of
Psalms, David reminds the Israelites how God continually provided water, bread
and meat for them in the wilderness (Ps. 78:19-29). God also kept their clothes from wearing out
for forty years (Deut. 8:4). Later,
during a drought in Israel, God sent ravens to feed the prophet Elijah and kept
a poor widow’s oil and flour from running out (1 Ki. 17:1-16). Another example of God’s faithfulness was the
feeding of over 5,000 hungry people from only five loaves and two fish (Mk.
6:38-44).
When we
take our trust and reliance away from God, and place it in money or in some
other earthly possession, we rob ourselves of the full blessing of God. God wants our total reliance and confidence
to be in Him in order to show Himself strong on our behalf (2 Chr. 16:9). Christ told His disciples not to worry about
tomorrow’s food or clothing, reminding them that the birds of the air do not
sow, reap, or gather in barns and that the flowers of the field have no need to
toil or spin. “If God so clothe the
grass of the field,” Christ asked, “shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of
little faith?” (Mat. 6:25-34).
Instead of
worrying about earthly possessions, Christians should lay up “treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat. 6:19-21). Focusing on heavenly treasure is important
because “no man can serve two masters;” we cannot serve both God and money
(Mat. 6:24). When Christians borrow,
they put themselves in bondage to others, because as Proverbs 22:7 says, “the
rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” In
addition, it is a bad testimony to the world for Christians to be in debt. The world sees that the church, instead of
trusting God, is trusting in banks.
However, Christians should be different from the world. God promises to provide for all of our needs
and we should let the world see God’s supernatural provision. Being debt-free has always been a sign of
God’s blessing on His people.
Deuteronomy 28:12 promises that “the LORD shall open unto thee His good
treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless
all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou
shalt not borrow.” Having debt is a sign
that you are living under judgment, rather than under blessing (Deut. 28).
The
biblical pattern is to work hard and plan ahead in order to avoid getting into
debt (Eph. 4:28). In Luke 14:28-30,
Jesus asks: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down
first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the
foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’” When King David wanted to build the temple,
he saved up rather than taking out a loan (1 Chr. 22:1-7, 15-19). Noah did not
take out a loan either when God told him to build the ark; God provided for
Noah’s every need without him going into debt (Gen. 6-8).
God may use
other believers to help in times of need.
However, loans between Christians should be given freely and in
love. God’s people were not allowed to
charge interest when giving loans to each other (Deut. 23:19-20). In biblical times, loans were charitable,
given with the understanding that they might not be paid back, and eliminated
after a certain number of many years.
Christians are clearly supposed to continue this pattern, because Luke
13:8 tells us to “do good, and lead, hoping for nothing again.” According to Romans 13:8, the only debt
between Christians should be love: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one
another.”
Another
problem with debt is that it tempts Christians to be poor stewards of their
money. A mortgage or loan on a house can
cost three times the original price, which is not good stewardship of the funds
that God has entrusted to you. Each one
of us will someday have to give account to God (Rom. 14:12). Borrowing money presumes on the future; it
presumes that you will be able to work, that you remain in good health, and
that you will be able to pay back the loan.
James 4:13-15 reminds us that we never know what tomorrow will hold:
“For what is your life? It is even a
vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will,
we shall live, and do this, or that.”
God holds
funds back from us for a reason. It may
be a way of protection from a path He does not want us to take, or it may be
simply to teach us contentment. “But
godliness with contentment is great gain,” says 1 Timothy 6:6-10. “For we brought nothing into this world, and
it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” When tempted to go into debt, Christians
should remember David’s words in Psalm 37:
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
God is more than capable to take care of those who trust Him!
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| Whatever it takes to keep me tender toward You
Whatever it takes, Lord, I beg You to do
Whatever You must lead me through
Whatever it takes, Lord, do
At times I hear Your voice and try to hide
But patiently You draw me to Your side
I may not always see that Your words are life to me
So many times I've missed You
Help me Lord not to resist You
Whatever it takes to keep me tender toward You
Whatever it takes, Lord, I beg You to do
Whatever You must lead me through
Whatever it takes, Lord, do
Sometimes my heart gets hard and can't see
That Your correction is protecting me
But as I look within, the darkness of my sin
Breaks my heart and leaves me tender
Gratefully I then surrender
Whatever it takes to keep me tender toward You
Whatever it takes, Lord, I beg You to do
Whatever You must lead me through
Whatever it takes, Lord, do
Whatever You must lead me through
Whatever it takes, Lord
There's too much at stake, Lord
Whatever it takes, Lord, do
Whatever it takes, Lord!
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| Trust in God, My Soul
Words by Frances Havergal and David Burke
Oh, Lord, I trust Your grace; it is enough, enough for me.
In every trial I shall trace its all-sufficiency.
And, Lord, I trust Your strength; in You alone I shall be strong:
My failing flesh will learn at length a daily triumph song.
Oh, trust in God, my soul, and look into His face.
Oh, trust in God, my soul; His holy will embrace.
Then I shall stand complete and whole, a trophy of His grace
As I trust God.
Oh, Lord, I trust Your Word; it gives me hope and light to see.
The path ahead, though now obscured, will open wide for me.
Oh, Lord, I trust Your love; I feel its warm and changeless glow;
My life or death shall only prove its everlasting flow.
Oh, trust in God, my soul, and look into His face.
Oh, trust in God, my soul; His holy will embrace.
Then I shall stand complete and whole, a trophy of His grace
As I trust God.
Snapshots from this summer:
 
 
 
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| the Lord has used several circumstances in the past two weeks to
totally change my perspective of serving... so often i find myself
equating "busyiness" with "sprituality"... "i'm so busy, so that means
i must be serving"... but God's ways are so much higher than ours.
in
Luke 10, you find two sisters... one is busy serving while the other
simply sat at the feet of Jesus listening. martha was busy with much
serving and wanted her sister to come help her... but Jesus replied by
telling her that only one thing was needful and Mary had chosen that
thing. ONE THING IS NEEDFUL. sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning
of Him.
as i look around i see many Christians who are busy
serving (me included) and yet they're exhausted and frustrated... as
martha was burdened and distracted with much serving. not that serving
is not important, but it was Christ who gave the command of the one
needful thing. i so often forget. time in God's Word, time in prayer,
time just spent with HIM is so much more important than anything else i
do.
another passage that has totally blown me away is in John
17... Papa G (i.e. mr. goyak) had a huge part in sharing this with me.
in three years on the earth, Jesus Christ, completed all the work that
His Father had given Him. couldn't He have preached to more crowds? or
healed more sick? or taught more people? no, He completed His Father's
will for Him. wow, what a challenge to all of us. is everything we do
based on the will of God? are we so busy that we forget what really is
needful?
learning to sit at HIS feet...
e. fraser | | |
| I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Psalms 104:33
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
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