God Will Provide

 

God Will Provide

And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." So they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)

    Please take a moment and reflect on how powerful three of the words are from this verse that Abraham spoke in faith.

God - Abraham is stating this work will be done by Elohim, the first name for God from the Hebrew Bible as the majestic ruler over all. He's being specific as to who will be doing this.

Will - Abraham is speaking from the witness he's received from time alone with God, knowing in his heart it is God's will to meet this need.

Provide - Abraham is saying the Lord will make adequate preparation for this event.

    It is even more enlightening to view the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), as it declares "God himself is providing the lamb for the sacrifice, my son." I feel the use of the word providing brings the timing and action into context, that God was already working "behind the scenes", causing the ram to move into their area and be later caught in a thicket.

    This brings my thoughts to the worship song "Way Maker" we sing in our church. As it's lyrics include:

Even when I don't see it, You're working, 

Even when I don't feel it, You're working,

You never stop, You never stop working. 

    Reading from Romans 11:36, it is written "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things..." Because all things began with Him, He is the only One who can promise to us that He will provide and be able to fulfill it, as He causes all things to align with His will.

    Later in Genesis 22, when the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham, stopping him from slaying his son... and then the ram appeared - this caused Abraham to name that place Mount Moriah Jehovah Jireh, meaning The Lord Will Provide.

    I will share that after my wife Karen and I began teaching the class "Debt-Free & Prosperous Living", the very first couple who responded back with the victory and testimony that they had paid off their mortgage were members of Jehovah Jireh Church of God in Christ, Deacon William Henry and Sister Bonnae Byrd.

    If you are interested in attending a free 3-hour class in the future, please contact Broomfield Assembly.

    So, before there becomes a necessity, I encourage you to feed your faith with these verses, so you are prepared in your heart as Abraham was, to declare that the Lord will provide for you:

And my God will fulfill your every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)

God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles (Psalm 34:17)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

    

    

Check-Up

Check-Up

In Proverbs 27:23-24 it is written "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds; For riches are not forever..."

    In this era, you likely do not own flocks and herds, when these words were written those creatures were a source of provision and even a form of exchange. The word diligent refers to continuous action, being persevering and careful in your work. What God is teaching us today in these words is to be diligent to know the state of our finances. I want to encourage you to perform your own financial "check-up".

    As you know, one of the fundamental elements for your doctor to use in gaging the level and direction of your health is by performing tests to establish your baseline in different areas. Then with future visits, to see how those measurements have changed from the past.

    If you are serious about reducing your debt level and want to move ahead, select a point of time (or two) in the past - one month, six months or a year ago. Pull the past statements from your credit cards and all other debts along with checking/savings accounts and record each of them on a sheet showing the total amounts owed for each and add them together. 

    Now do the same with all your current debts and obligations. Compare the two, with attention especially on the total amount owed of all debts combined. Has the total increased or decreased? Have the number of different debts grown or shrunk? This is a good first test to perform to illuminate the trajectory you currently are on.

    Let's add one other aspect to this, pull all of your monthly subscriptions together and record them the same way, showing each of the past subscriptions along with their amounts and the current ones. An important question is... are you sure you have accounted for all of them? Several services and apps have come on the scene promising to find all subscriptions and even cancel the unwanted ones for you. My take-away from this is if there is a "business" in doing so, there must be plenty of subscriptions out there that are not really being used or worthwhile. Even if you don't employ one of these services, look closely over your credit card and bank statements and make certain you know what the charges are for or why amounts are coming out of your bank account.

    If your doctor has identified areas to improve your health, they may have suggested you remove or reduce things from your diet, exercise more or address some destructive habit. It is quite similar in our finances:

"Remove or reduce things from your diet" - look what categories or types of things you are overspending on, and decide to rein those in. Even just a partial concession in an area can yield great results when repeated each month.

"Exercise more" - stay with this exercise of tracking how much debt exists in your household, gaining the knowledge of what things you are spending money on each month, as opposed to guessing how much, and also staying on top of subscriptions.

"Address some destructive habit" - this could be something large financially, like always having a new car, medium, like becoming a slave to the latest expensive fashions or gadgets, or even small, like buying a prepared coffee or eating out for lunch every day, because when added up day after day it takes a large bite out of your budget.

    Also to be considered in our "personal check-up" is this question... where are we in giving to the Lord and His work? Since we're thinking in a medical-mindset today, let's bring out the "scalpel" here, as the Word of God is described as sharper than any two-edged sword:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21)

    When we perform our check-up and see the results in black-and-white, if we consider this verse, it will speak to us... literally, as to where our heart has been as we have spent our money. If we reflect and ask ourselves if we've put the Lord first in line after we were paid, if we have been a joyful giver, and if we've sought to be generous, it will go a long ways towards aligning things properly to the One who has given us all things, including His Son Jesus Christ.

    Lastly, even if you feel it challenging to make changes with your finances, be encouraged that you can, taking strength from these who stepped out in faith in much greater measure than merely in finances, as recorded in the Word:

"So Peter got out of the boat..." (Matthew 14:29)

"Noah did this, he did all that God commanded him" [building the ark] (Genesis 6:22)

"David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:48)

I encourage you to run quickly toward the battle line in your finances, follow God's direction and He will respond for you.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

    

 

They Rise Again

 

They Rise Again

In Proverbs 24:16 it is written "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes."

    If you've experienced setbacks trying to pay down and eliminate your debts, please open your eyes, ears and heart to absorb these words of truth and encouragement today.

    Know this first and foremost, God wants to see you become free of debts as was stated in Romans 13:8 to "Owe no man anything, but to love one another". But don't let the enemy turn this into a negative if you are not there or your progress is not where you want it to be, instead feel empowered that God is on your side in this. When my wife Karen and I left the class "Debt-Free and Prosperous Living", I knew inside that God was going to bless us in this process - that he would "blow wind into our sails" because this was His will.

    We "fell" during this process, the next year our furnace failed (in Minnesota in the bitter cold of winter), and we hurriedly found a company that could take care of us with a new unit, but at a huge expense and much more than it should have cost. But God encouraged us, and we rose through it. I took a third job to help do my part and both of us had blessings of unexpected raises overtake us that made a huge difference - not just in our progress financially, but inside, as we knew that God was making a way for us.

    But what if that unexpected raise or windfall does not yet materialize? Do one important thing...keep the faith, and "rise again" each day, each paycheck, each month, and do your best to just simply achieve one step towards success... to bring down your debt lower than it was the previous month. Keep moving forward, bringing to remembrance in Matthew 17 where Jesus said "truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you." That mountain of debt can seem enormous, but know you are not alone, for God will respond to your faith in Him. 

    Feed your faith and renew your strength to rise again by bringing to remembrance theses verses:

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  Reject the thoughts from the enemy of fear or dread about debt, and replace those thoughts with the knowledge it is the loving God who created the universe and all things who goes with you, that He is on your side, leading you towards victory.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31) When temptation comes to overspend or buy something not necessary, cling to these words and wait, wait, wait patiently... for you shall see your strength renewed to continue and to overcome, as the verse continues - they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10) We look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and the continued strength He showed day after day, because He wanted to please His Father. As He resisted the devil's attempts to tempt Him, His disciples lack of faith at many intervals, the religious leaders refusal to see Him and His Father properly, and laying down His life at the cross. As we look, meditate and love Him more and more for all He has done, it will encourage us to move forward and "rise again".     

    And in closing, know that whether you've never perceived the need to get free of debts, or have tried and stumbled backwards and feel disheartened... even multiple times, be personally welcomed to come to God and receive all that He has for you:

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need". (Hebrews 4:16)  

    If you still need encouragement to come to Him, click on the Archives section (on the upper right side of this page) to December 2014 for the post titled "Let Him Know".

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                         

I Must Decrease

 

I Must Decrease

"He must increase and I must decrease" (John 3:30)

In these seven words, John crystalized what our aim is to be in our walk with Christ. Today we will look into areas we can apply this fundamental in our finances.

    The photo of the pie above is meant to relay the aspect that there is a finite amount of your desire, intent, or will to go around. And that as we yield to the Spirit to reduce our slice of the pie and bring closer to a full measure of God's slice, we will be transformed greater and greater into His image, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 3:18.

    One easy place to first measure "your pie" in your finances is in the obedience of giving in tithes and offerings. Has there been a struggle in bringing your tithe to the Lord? If there has, the first question is, am I placing God first in line to give to Him after I am paid? If we are waiting until later in the week, what we are doing is taking a larger slice of that pie, and allowing the possibility of other things to come up, and then arrive at the excuse of "I can't afford to tithe this time".

    Many will quote Malachi 3:10, which speaks to God opening the windows of heaven in response to trusting Him in giving tithes, and that is good. But if you've experienced "other things coming up" and then you have not tithed - look at what is promised for obedience in the verse that follows in Malachi 3:11... "I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts." If we have faith and trust Him first, He will take care of eliminating that thing to come up and harm our finances. Really, it is showing graphically that as we decrease, He will increase and make Himself known.

    How about when it comes to our spending? Many corporations will produce pie charts to show the breakdown of expenses. You may not have to go to that degree of detail, but I do encourage you to take a look at the areas of your spending and in regarding the opening verse of "He must increase and I must decrease", to honestly assess if there are categories or unnecessary things in certain categories that are keeping you from either tithing or are increasing your debt load. If spending is out of control in an area, the only way to achieve results is for you to decrease so that He may increase.

    Looking out towards others in need, be encouraged that if you are giving of your time, giving actual items you have, or giving of your finances - to think along the lines that as you give it is living out the scripture of you decreasing and He is increasing. The recipients of your giving, some of whom you may not meet, will be impacted positively in their view of the Lord and His giving nature because they have experienced it personally. To take this thought a little deeper of Him increasing, recall what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 - The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

    Bringing this towards a close, when you are giving of your finances, yourself or possessions, think of what happens in that action by applying the words of Jesus in John 12:24... "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

    

    

From A to Z - Part II

 

From A to Z - Part II

"For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)

    This month we will continue in providing "ammunition" of scriptures you can use relating to your finances, either to stand on for promises from God, or to aim for in our actions and obedience, with each keying in a word beginning from A to Z.

Nothing - "For with God nothing is ever impossible..." (Luke 1:37) It matters not how difficult your financial situation may appear, because the Creator of the universe who brought all things into being is near, is with you, is ready to hear your prayer of faith and to act on your behalf to show Himself to you to His glory.

Obey - "Obey your masters; be eager to give them your very best. Serve them as you would Christ" (Ephesians 6:5). I feel we can bring our strongest witness of the Lord in our workplaces as we live this verse out, and that God will reward our obedience in many different ways, including in our finances.

Patience - "To your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God" (2 Peter 1:6). Patience is a vital bridge to recognize, as it carries us from the concept of a good desire to spanning the time necessary towards completion. Patience will keep us from spending beyond our means and allow us to reach our goals.

Quiet - "But let it be the inner man of the heart - an incorruptible meek and quiet spirit - which is a very valuable thing before God" (1 Peter 3:4). The quality of being quiet also weaves into hearing from God, to "be still and know that I am God". Embracing quietness allows us to hear His voice over the noise of the world and our own flesh in our finances and elsewhere.

Run - "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). This verse speaks of the ultimate swiftness, power and loving-kindness God will show to you for trusting Him.

Spirit - "Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit knows what path and what timing is perfect for you personally when facing a decision financially or otherwise. The Spirit will always agree with the Word of God, which raises the importance of reading His Word regularly, so we can run with what we've heard that is in agreement.

Test - "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10). God is so certain of HIs ability to show Himself to you for being obedient, He issues this challenge to experience His faithfulness back to you.

United - "So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife. And the two people will become one body" (Genesis 2:24). Being in unity and of one mindset in marital finances, when it comes to spending, debt and giving is vital to success, and I have also seen the Lord blessing the family that is in unity in these areas.

Vision - "Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he who keeps the law--blessed is he." (Proverbs 29:18). I can share that we literally had a poster chart with this verse on the wall tracking our progress of paying down debts every month that we filled in together... and saw the vision coming towards reality - it was a tremendous encouragement.

Wealth - "But remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant He swore to your fathers, as it is today" (Deuteronomy 8:18). He provides us with good health, wisdom and leads us in paths to prosper. Beyond the quiet times to remember Him when seeking His face, we stay humble and remember the Lord when we give to Him in tithes and offerings, being generous to others, remaining content, regarding Him as our source and not our own hands.

X - There are no verses in standard translations with a word beginning with X, however I encourage you to view from the Archives section the October 2023 post titled "The X-Ray". In this post I share what I feel is the #1 tool you can employ immediately to illuminate and start you on a path towards spending less than you make.

https://broomfieldassemblyfinancialfitness.blogspot.com/search?q=x-ray

Yoke - Take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30). There is a clear distinction from the heavy yoke of weariness brought on in time by following the world's greedy and covetous ways and trying to impress others - to the lighter yoke of the Lord, that releases us from such pursuits and places Him first, serving the Lord in our finances.

And lastly, we will close this tour of the alphabet in God's Word with Z. With many of the verses we've read over the last month and this month relating to promises from the Lord... let's receive encouragement and get a glimpse of how awesomely intense the Lord's love, dedication and loyalty is for us and for performing His Word and promises given, because He states in one Z-word how it will be accomplished:

"Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:7)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

                    

    

From A to Z - Part I

 

From A to Z - Part I

    "Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him."

    This verse from Proverbs 30:5 reminds us of the straightforward yet profound perfection of God's Word. Over this month and next you will receive verses of "ammunition" relating to our finances that can be applied, either to stand on for promises from God, or to aim for in our actions and obedience, with each keying in on a word beginning from A to Z.

Above - "Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not the things that are on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). As we embrace this in our thoughts, we will desire less of the world's "things" and we'll find ourselves wasting less money and time pursuing those things.

Blessing - "A person of blessing will be enriched, and he who gives water also will be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25). Here and in many other places God promises to return blessings back to those who are generous towards others.

Content - "But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied)" (1 Timothy 6:8). Our ability to lean on contentment in Christ is one of the best deterrents to indulging in extravagant and unnecessary spending to sink us into debt.

Diligent - A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied (Proverbs 13:4). God speaks highly of being diligent - from listening and seeking Him, and in our efforts of working... where He promises those who do so shall rule and have riches.

Enjoy - "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance" (John 10:10). From experiencing life with debts and without debts, I can testify God intended us to enjoy life without debts, and experience that peace.

Faithful - "Because you have been faithful and trustworthy in a very little (thing), you shall have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17) Joseph was a great example, of how to be faithful to the Lord in handling smaller things, He will entrust us to greater things. I feel this also translates to how we handle smaller amounts of finances to graduate towards larger amounts.

Guard - "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23). This verse speaks strongly... "above all that you guard". We are charged to continuously reject worldly ways, in our finances this would include impulse spending, keeping up with the "Joneses", and a lack of concern for counting the costs to come.

Help - "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:16). It does not matter if our financial difficulties came from our choices or a circumstance that came upon us, God encourages us to come to Him and receive His grace, bringing peace until that time when He moves on our behalf. 

Integrity - "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them" (Proverbs 11:3). Part of integrity is defined as "the state of being whole and undivided". The greater degree that we think and walk undivided in the Truth, God will lead us to the right steps to take, including in our finances and in fair dealings with others.

Joy - "Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus endured, knowing it would save the world. In the same manner, we can endure the temporary hardships of denying our flesh towards paying down debts - while imaging the joy before us what it will be like to pay off that credit card, car and home down the road.

Keeper - "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand" (Psalms 121:5).

We can rest in and trust in these words, which from the root Hebrew word of keeper speaks to God being specifically our hedge and our protector.

Lack - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him" (James 1:5). Whether it is with our finances, vocation, or other areas. If we humble ourselves and simply ask, God will show us His wisdom in that purchase decision, managing our finances or being the best we can be in our work.

Meditate - "I will meditate on Your precepts and have respect to Your ways" (Proverbs 119:15). Treasuring His words enough to spend time on them in thought after we read or hear them will increase our ability to use them as a "sifter" to us, providing discernment to know what is right and wrong when financial decisions arise and all other matters.

    We'll pick this back up next month for the remainder of the alphabet. Lasty, be encouraged that God continuously guides us from His word, using a familiar passage from Psalms 119:105, but from the Voice translation bringing some additional perspective:

"Your word is a lamp for my steps; it lights the path before me"

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Doing Nothing

 

Doing Nothing

    "Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks." This verse from Ecclesiastes 10:18 paints a very clear picture to the results of doing nothing regarding a house, and we should be able to relate to it easily. But have you considered the repercussions and costs from doing nothing in certain areas of your finances?

    God warns us in many places of His Word how He feels about laziness and neglect. Including Proverbs 18:9 - "Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys." and with the slothful servant in Matthew 25, who hid his masters money in the ground - the master took the money from him and cast him into the outer darkness.

    But if we turn towards being aware of what we can do and investing some time and effort, there are many places we are able to reduce or stop this drag against our finances, which because of the effects of compound interest is almost as certain as the effects of gravity when left alone.

    If you currently carry a balance on your credit card - simply meaning you are not paying it off every month, it is making everything you buy more expensive. According to the Federal Reserve, as of November 2024 the average interest rate was 22.80%. If you feel inflation is making some things more expensive, try adding 22% onto that price of that item because that is what you are actually paying in the end if you carry a balance on your card(s).

    Where can we do something instead of doing nothing here to lower what gets charged in the first place? 

Planning Ahead - look at the upcoming day in advance and what your needs may be, so you can avoid paying the high prices at convenience stores and vending machines. Bring coffee, snacks or lunch with you to work (at least part of the time). Bring a list to the grocery store and stick to it. Buy end-of-season items from retailers and receive huge discounts.

Use Your Tools - a few minutes to check for and clip coupons or utilize apps like Ibotta, Rakuten and RetailMeNot, one minute to look for the best gas prices on GasBuddy or another app, a minute to sign up online at favorite restaurants to receive offers, for larger purchases research online for the most reliable brands and models and to see customer reviews.

    After doing these things, stay in touch with your credit card balance by checking it online.

If you do nothing to reduce your credit cards, expect it to continue to increase due to the effects of compound interest.

    When it comes to your car, doing nothing can be much, much more expensive than the cost of doing something. So keep up to date with the maintenance required for your vehicle to avoid a self-inflicted expensive repair. Consider learning how to do some basic tasks yourself, such as replacing filters, oil changes, etc. Online videos can be a great help in this area.

    Car insurance continues to rise, especially in this area. Take the time to look at your policy. Make sure it covers only what you want and does not have extra items you do not use. Think about raising your deductible to lower your premiums. When it is renewal time, shop around and get competitive quotes. Remember that by doing nothing in this area, you will continue to pay the same amount, and more when rates increase.

    Your mortgage is obviously your greatest expense... and your greatest potential area of savings. There is the choice of doing nothing - paying it month-by-month which then adds up to about 2 to 3 times the price of the home. Then there is the choice of doing something - making additional payments towards the principal, which reduces your principal balance dollar-for-dollar immediately and will reduce greatly the length of the time of your mortgage.

    I will say that according to the step-by-step debt elimination plan that my wife Karen and I have taught at our church, that the mortgage is usually to be addressed after you have paid off your credit cards, car loans and any other debts. If you would like to see additional materials about paying off your mortgage, click on the Archives section of this page to view "The Death Pledge" from October 2020. 

    In closing, if you are still on the fence about making changes, I first want to share a remarkably accurate quote from Ben Feldman, champion life insurance salesman:

"Doing something costs something. Doing nothing costs something. And, quite often, doing nothing costs a lot more!"

    Then be encouraged from what is written in Isaiah 40:29:

"He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul