2/10/12 WISDOM CONCERNING DEBT AND DILIGENCE
2/10/12 WISDOM CONCERNING DEBT AND DILIGENCE
Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF, Friday, February 10, 2012
Proverbs 6:1-11 Key Verse: 6:10-11
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
Dear Lord Heavenly Father thank you for your love and your grace in my life. Thank you for guiding me each day. I pray that you may bless Jenn on her university quest. I pray help her to go to the campus of your choice where she can grow to know Jesus even more deeply and grow in her humanity. I pray that you guide us in 2012. Help us to function as a Jesus centered house church and bear fruit for the glory of God. I pray that you may help the kids to devote their singing talents for the glory of Jesus. Please Lord, help me to accept your word deeply in my heart. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
1. Free yourself from debt (1-5).
Verses 1-5 read, “My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion—and give your neighbor no rest! 4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. 5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.”
We should be generous, but also very careful about taking on the debt obligations of others. Debt is a trap. It ensnares us like a gazelle in the hand of a hunter or a bird trapped by a fowler. Doing all we can to get free of the debt trap is wise. We should work hard, be persistent, and also humble ourselves before our creditors to get free. In our culture, which is saturated with materialism, consumerism, and debt, we would do well to heed this wisdom.
I thank God for helping us to get out of high interest debt lately and helping us to live more within our means. It is the grace of God. Still we need to work hard and continue to meet our obligations and be responsible and never fall into the modern day slavery of falling into high interest debt again. The Bible gives us clear direction, to never give our creditors rest. This does not mean to be obnoxious and stockers or harass them. It means to exhaust yourself to do what is right and to come to equitable terms with your creditors. It also means to pray and pray and pray some more and remain in dialogue. God will give a person wisdom and grace when a person puts these efforts into play.
There is one who pays the debt that we can not pay. It is Jesus Christ. Our sins made us indebted sinners. Indebted to the demands of righteousness, to justice and to truth. We were created to be the sons and daughter of God, but we squandered the gifts and the talents that God has given us, spending them instead on our own pleasures and self glory seeking. We marred the image of God in us. Our sins put us in a debt that we can never pay back. We could never owe back. But Jesus laid down his life on the cross. He shed his holy blood. The righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled. We can be forgiven by our Holy Creator God. Jesus paid the price. We are now part of god’s family with eternal life. The image of god is restored in our hearts. for this I thank God.
2. Consider the ant (6-11).
Verses 6-11 reads, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie here, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man” .
The ant is contrasted with a lazy person. No one commands an ant to store up provisions and gather food at harvest, but the ant diligently does these things knowing that the long winter is ahead. On the other hand, a lazy person looks to get a little more sleep and relaxation. His motto is, “I’ll do it later,” not realizing that soon enough poverty will come and take away everything he has.
The Bible speaks plain, good old fashioned truth that is applicable to this day and age. There is a right time to rest, but we must first do what needs to be done. We should learn this lesson from the ant. If we put off to tomorrow what needs to be done today, we will suffer from fruitlessness and loss. The rest of the world will leave us behind its dust and we will be wondering, “What happened?” and lamenting feelings of, “It might have been.” strike while the metal is hot. I need to be on top of things, never procrastinating in serving God’s purpose in my life. I mostly have to apply this to my spiritual life.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live within the means you have provided. Help me to be diligent in all things. Thank you Jesus for paying the debt I can not pay through your forgiveness.
One Word: Be debt free and diligent in all matters.
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