Bible Verse of the Day


2 Peter 1:5-8


For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

***Amount Due***


Opening mail this time of year can be a monotonous array of sales fliers trying to entice you to spend more money on things you neither need nor can afford, and then there are the pre-approved credit cards hoping to tempt you into more debt. Let's not forget the assault from multiple insurance companies wanting your business. We did get a lovely Thanksgiving card from our cousin Carolyn that was a nice reprieve. And the never ending bills….the never ending bills…the never ending bills…

The utility companies help keep our home comfortable and livable. The mortgage company bill simply means we are blessed to own a home; some don't even have a home. The car note means we have transportation. These are the things I ponder as I open the never-ending bills, makes the task more palatable. It also reminds me of all we have to be thankful to God. It's tough to whine or feel depressed when I look at it that way.

On each of these never-ending bills, there are common line items such as:
'Statement Date' - to tell you when they were kind enough to mail it to you.
'Next Payment Date" - as a reminder they are, indeed, never ending bills.
'Amount Due' - to make sure you don't forget how much they are expecting from you.
'Payment Due Date' - so you know your time is limited in getting them their due.

It might serve us well at this time to remember we created all these bills ourselves for our comfort, convenience, and pleasure. It is easy to get in over your head and resent the stress these bills create, so I'll say it again… It might serve us well at this time to remember we created all these bills ourselves for our comfort, convenience, and pleasure.

Imagine with me how it would feel to have the same obligations to cover for someone other than your own household. Not many of us would willingly take that on. Not many of us could take that on. Some go from month to month paying the never-ending bills as they can and enclosing a prayer in each envelop in hopes the payment goes through. Therefore, having a burden like covering an others debt would be more than we could bear.

Yet, that is exactly what Jesus did for each and every one of us! He paid our sin debt. He sacrificed everything due Him in order to cover everything we owed and could not pay to have a relationship with God. We don't get a monthly statement from Jesus telling us what we owe, when it's due and what He expects next month, too. We know that His sacrifice paid the whole price upfront for us. Our sin debt wiped out completely. How do you repay that? Yes, we have a lot to give thanks for and we know we are blessed. However, none of that would be possible if Jesus had not stepped up to cover our debt. A debt He did not create or owe!

Account Number: JesusLovesMe
Statement Date: Everyday
Payment Amount: $0.00
Next Payment Amount: $0.00
Account Status: PAID IN FULL

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