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Paid in Full

By November 28, 2011August 30th, 2022Devotional

I overheard a conversation in the office a few days ago. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop – it just happened. The people weren’t trying to hide anything, and I wasn’t trying to pry – but the exchange sounded so interesting that I went up to the lady, a new friend of mine and asked her what she was so excited about. She told me that two weeks ago, on Wednesday to be specific, she went to the bank to pay off her house – six years early.  Wow…. I was totally impressed.

Now I know that many of you have already paid off your homes; and many of us still haven’t. But what impressed me so much about this story is the road that this lady had to travel to complete her journey. She was divorced from her husband years ago, she raised their daughter, her ex-husband rarely helped out financially and through all of this, her life was filled with miracles. People came forward and assisted her to put her daughter through college and when there wasn’t enough money to pay the mortgage, God always showed up and delivered her just in time. One thing that I have learned through the years of our own journey is that God is rarely early, but never late.

And I have come to depend on that knowledge. Another important thing that I have learned is that I am on a “need to know” basis with God. That is, I don’t need to know his entire plan, just the next step. And while in my human weakness, I want to know the whole plan, right now, my faith is strengthened when I have to depend on His awesome power to deliver me. And I sensed that same faith in my friend.

She told me that she called for the payoff amount of the mortgage and was told that she needed to have the money in the form of a cashier’s check. She went to her bank branch and requested the funds. When the teller handed her the check, signifying the end of her long journey, she broke down and sobbed in the middle of the bank lobby. I can understand it. And she praised God that after all the years of raising her daughter, trying to make the payments and working huge long hours, she had completed the goal that she had set for herself so many years ago.

As she said to me, “I owe no man anything except my love.” What a beautiful sentiment. The years of struggles, the adversity, dealing with an ex-husband who rarely helped out, and still she believes that it is part of her Christian mandate to love her fellow man. She is a real ambassador of the faith and a hard worker to boot. I know, for sure, that several weeks ago, she worked more than 90 hours one week and more than 60 for several weeks on each side of that week. Like the energizer bunny, she keeps on working, and working, and working.

In honor of this remarkable lady and her story, the verse tonight is the one she referenced in her comments to me. From Romans, 13:8, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.” Paul was the author of the the book of Romans, and his theology is found throughout the New Testament. In fact, Romans embodies the intellectual theology of the Christian faith, whereas Galatians is the practical application of the teachings of the faith.

My encouragement this evening is to affirm that God is faithful and will deliver you in accordance with His plan for your life. And just like my friend, who was faithful to what God called her to do, He honored her desire to become debt free. My prayer is that God will work miracles in your life as well; and that you will see His majesty in the everyday events of your life. Have a great day in the Lord…..

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