Daily Reading: Proverbs 22
Scripture Focus: The borrower is the slave of the lender. (Proverbs 22.7)
Devotional Thought: It was 2015. Greece was being forced by the European Union into making significant changes to their national budget. The people of Greece didn’t want to be told how to spend their money. They protested and rioted. The Prime Minister, who had been elected with promises of facing down the EU, did not want to accept the austerity measures.
I watched the news with bemusement. It really was amazing that a sovereign nation would find itself in the position of being forced – without any shots fired! – to do things that they didn’t want to do. But what choice did they have? They were out of money. They found themselves enslaved because of their debt to the EU. Sadly, I realized that America is quickly moving that way as we drive up our national debt.
Indebtedness works that same way in our personal finances too. When our appetite for spending and consuming is so great, it drives us to borrow, borrow, borrow. Then, we become enslaved to our creditors. We work day and night just to pay off our interest. Debt just piles up as we make our purchases with plans to pay for them later.
Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When our treasure is entirely in the hands of lenders, our hearts are taken captive. We find ourselves pledging loyalty to these debt masters. Listen to the words of the wise. Avoid debt at all costs!
Prayer: Lord, help me to be wise in my use of money and in my acquisition of debt. Give me grace to get out of debt and to stay out. Help me to curb my appetite and quell my spending. May my treasure and my heart be fixed on you. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 13.1-6
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
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