Of late I have been writing about things in a more lesson of informational style. Today I think I want to get a little bit more personal. I just want to share with you about some things going on in my life in the financial realm. Yahweh is the head of our finances as well. No, this isn't going to be a teaching on tithing. It is going to be about debt, and getting out of it.
This time last year, I had about 5,000 in credit card debt and had just bought a new car with about 17k in debt. Making the minimum payments cost me about $450 a month and would have me indebted for a decade if I did not occur any more debt. This was on top of my regular living expenses of rent, food, clothing, and extras including internet, cable, phone, running about $1200 a month. Throw in the indulgences and that was another $400 a month. This was basically 100% of my income and nothing saved.
I was really feeling the truth of Yahwehs word where it says in Proverbs 22:7 "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." When we are in debt, we become slaves to that debt. We MUST work to earn enough to pay it off. As servents to the lender, I was making the lender rich, while at the same time impoverishing myself. I had to do something different. I had to pay off my debt. Romans 13:8 says, Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. This is my goal, to owe no man anything but my love. I believed Yahehs word.
I began to be faithful to that word at that time. Any extra money I earned, starting with the tax return, went to debt. Any overtime I got was applied. But it was not just willy nilly paying here and there. I developed a plan. This too is something the bible says to do. The heart of man plans his way,but the Lord establishes his steps -Proverbs 16:9. Knowing that getting out of debt was in the will of Yahweh from the other verses, I had confidence that the plan would be established by Yahweh. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.—Proverbs 19:21
I began attacking one debt. All of the extra money went to that one debt. Also, I did not incur any more new charges. I picked the highest interest card first to reduce my interest payments. Progress was slow at first. It was hard not to charge things. Nevertheless, I plugged along.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
In the fall, I had continued paying down debt and had just enough to take a vacation. I got about 2/3 of the way to my destination when disaster struck. That verse and my faith in it was about to be tested. At a gas station I crashed into a post and messed up the side of my car. The vacation was over realizing that my deductible would be eaten up by repairs. I got a hold of my insurance company and headed home. Vacation was ruined. New car was smashed. It could seemingly be a very low moment.
I got a hold of the insurance company and after an appraisal and some negotiation, they cut me a check for nearly $3,000. I assessed what the damage was, which was purely cosmetic. 2nd Corinthians 10:7 asks the question, Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? It is the inward things that matter. The inward workings of the car were just fine. I could live with the outward damage. This was a great opportunity, as it turned out. I retired one credit card, and significantly reduced the other. The ruined vacation and smashed car actually worked for good in getting me out of debt.
I rolled half payment from the first card into the second, with the extras going on it too. I began to get some extra money, so after a couple months I opened a savings account. Proverbs 21:20 says, There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up. This and other verses do talk about the virtue of saving money. Proverbs 6:6-8 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.
With obedience to this, I was blessed. When I opened my account, it turns out I was eligible for a new credit card and was able to transfer my remaining balance of $500 onto a card with a much lower interest rate. I am now paying less in interest, which speeds up the payoff process.
God honors obedience. 2 Chronicles 25:5 says ... As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. When we are Obedient to the word of Yahweh, He will intercede. I just got in the mail that I am to receive a settlement check from a class action lawsuit. Total out of the blue surprise. It appears it is enough that I will be able to retire the credit card debt. This is the 2nd time I have gotten surprise extra money out of the blue in the last year. This will leave me with only the vehicle left to pay off.
I will take the payment from both cards, along with extra money, and apply it to the car. It will be like an extra payment every other month and should have the car paid off in half the time that I have on the contract. Knowing what I have learned this last year about Yahweh, it would not surprise me at all if he blesses me with extra money to pay it off even faster. He loves to bless His children.
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
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