Pay Thy Debt!
Today’s Verse:
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. ~2 Kings 4:7
A debt is a financial or moral obligation that we owe to someone else. It is an obligation that demands a repayment. Every debt is a liability that requires a plan for repayment. The Bible teaches that a borrower is a servant to the lender in Proverbs 22:7b. This morning, we want to consider the importance of paying off your debt—your spiritual debt.
There is the principle concerning debt.
Debt occurs when we enter into an obligation of some kind. We have been loaned something with the idea that it will be repaid. Over the years, I have loaned many books to people that I hope will be returned to me. I have loaned money to people who promised to repay me. I have borrowed money for which I had signed legal documents promising full repayment. The principle in debt is that it must be repaid.
There is the problem concerning debt.
In 2 Kings 4:1-2, a certain son of the prophets died unexpectedly. His death brought about a chain of events. His widow realized that he had incurred some debts so that he could take care of his family while he was training for the ministry. Now that he was dead, the creditors came in, seeking repayment in full. The creditors made it clear that this widow’s sons would be taken and placed into servitude to repay this debt if she did not come up with the money. Debt can be a master of our life. All debt is required to be paid in full.
There is a picture concerning debt.
First, we owe Jesus our life. Salvation is the free gift of God. Jesus gave us the gift of eternal life when we placed our faith in His death and shed blood for our sins. He did not save us to live the same selfish lives. He died for us that we might live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). Second, we must realize that our life is on loan to us. We are living borrowed lives: borrowed gifts, borrowed time, borrowed opportunities, and borrowed lives. Paul said, “I am debtor.” We owe an obligation in getting the gospel to the people of our community, our country, and the continents.
There is the performance concerning debt.
Second Kings 4:1-7 contains the Christian debt repayment plan. First, take advantage of every opportunity that you can. Elisha told the woman, “Borrow thee vessels... borrow not a few.” We only have one life, but we have many opportunities. It’s better to do more than to do less. Second, don’t limit your capacity. This woman was told to pour the oil that she had into each vessel. She eventually ran out of borrowed vessels, but this was because she limited the number of vessels that she had brought into her house. The oil never ran out! There will always be more of the Holy Spirit for every borrowed opportunity! Third, shut the door upon you when you fill each opportunity. This teaches us to shut out the distractions that hinder our faith. It also teaches us to enlarge our prayer life by spending more time in prayer for the Holy Spirit’s power. Fourth, put the oil in your life out on the marketplace. In other words, the filling of the Holy Spirit in our life is for the benefit of others. Always make yourself useful and a blessing. Last, live on the rest: don’t limit yourself or the Holy Spirit. Don’t live unfulfilled: live with the filling of the Spirit as the Master of your life. There is never a shortage of God’s power for the life that desires it.
Have an enlarged God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Nehemiah 7