GOD’S ATTITUDE TO DEBTS

Deuteronomy 23:21: When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in
thee.

In 2 Kings 4:1 – 7, is the story of a woman who was in big debt. The creditors told her they were going to take her two sons as slaves to cater for her debts. She ran to meet to the man of God- Elisha, who gave her an instruction to go and borrow some vessels and fill it with the oil left. After she did she came back to the prophet and he advised her to go and first pay her debts and live on the rest. This passage shows God’s attitude to debts. The woman was advised to first go and pay her debt which means God took the business of paying her debt as urgent and a priority. Today we should learn from this. When we owe people let us make every effort to pay the debts even if it means we will not eat! If the money is not available lets still be in contact with those we owe money to and re-assure them that we will pay, not ignore them or begin to run. When people out of mercy lend us things or money, when they ask for their money back let us not do the wicked thing of getting angry at them. Many do that , they get angry when the people who have lend them money ask for the money back and some take it to another level by deciding not to pay the money. According Psalm 37:21, it is an act of wickedness to borrow and not pay back! When you owe financial institutions please pay them back. Also when people lend us things let us endeavor to return them back on time and in good condition. It is not nice when people lend us things and they have to beg to get them back from us. Do you know it is a debt not to testify to the goodness of God in your life? Every time God does something for us, we owe Him a thank you and the thank you He expects from us is to share the testimony.

We have heard this saying from time to time, Promise is a debt. A promise is not only a debt but unfulfilled promise is a sin! Deuteronomy 23:21 says when thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. When you make promises to people, do everything in your power to fulfill them. The same thing applies to God. Many of us have made vows to God that if only He will let us pass an exam we will do this for Him, If only He will give us a child, If only He will get us a job, if only He will get us the promotion, if only He will get us the visa, If only He will deliver us, if only He will do this and that …. The shocking thing is many of us have not redeemed the pledge we made to Him years ago. So as not to hold it against us as sin, He reminds us from time to time and what do we do? We say it is true and never do anything about it.

ACTION POINT: Put measures into place to pay your debts, if you have been running from people you owe money to, contact them and let them know you are making efforts to pay the debts.