How did I get into such a mess?  

I often remember the struggle with the excessive debt that was due to hardships beyond my control, as well as the extremely high interest on credit cards and bills owed to the lenders. Debt had become a way of life!

I wondered constantly how I was going to pay all these bills. My personal mission and desire were to get out of debt and stay out. I longed to be debt-free and needed to get back on the right track.

I was a civilian working for the Navy on deployment in Guam. I intentionally woke up very early on the ship to listen to my countless messages and to call the many creditors, since calls to the East Coast were a 14-hour time zone difference.

After giving my account number and payment information, one of the creditors said I could not pay with my debit card. I informed them that this bill had been paid monthly using the same card. Unfortunately, I was transferred from one department to another. Finally, I was told there was nothing due on the account. I was speechless. After silence, I asked, “Are you sure?” The good news was unbelievable! I could not understand what had happened to the debt. However, there were tears of joy throughout the day as I told several co-workers who had known about my financial crisis about this miracle and witnessed to them God's goodness.

This cancellation of debt was the beginning of miraculous provision. Every wall surrounding my blessings, prosperity, and finances began to come down step by step. While walking through this rough financial season, tithing was my priority. The Word enlightened me to the truth of using godly wisdom instead of leaning on my own understanding and not yielding to the temptation of paying off my bills first, spending the money any way I wanted, and giving God the leftovers.

God has always provided for the needs of His family. God canceled the debt of the oppressed. The Jews complained of their debt, mortgage, and bondage. Nehemiah rebuked the oppressor who caused them to make a covenant of restitution (Nehemiah 5:5-11 NLT).

There was a debt cancellation granted at the end of every seven years. Every creditor released those who were indebted to them (see Deuteronomy 15:1-23).

For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Yes, Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for the sins of humanity.

We all have a spiritual debt we cannot pay, but the Bible tells us that God has paid our debt in full. "He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:14). Christ has redeemed us from all our suffering and sins through His atoning grace. He gave himself as ransom for all, to pay for us to be free.

God grants this freedom to all who choose to follow Jesus. He has reconciled us unto God. He has slain the enemy and has given us access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we all owed a debt that we could not pay; our Lord had a debt He did not owe! Our debt was stamped “paid in full.” Thank You for canceling the record of the charges that stood against us and condemned us. Thank You for helping us manage and steward our finances with godly wisdom and diligence. Gratefully, we pray in the worthy and powerful name of Jesus. Amen!

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.