This morning at church we heard the update and celebration of people who, through Christians Against Poverty, have become debt free. Sometimes these people also realise just how much God has been a part of that, but not always. We celebrate people being free of crippling debt, and help people, whether they want to take that step of following Jesus or not.
Debt can be like shackles, holding on to people, making them prisoner. But what we can remember is that God loves, and wants us to be free. He holds us in the palm of his hand, as much as he holds the world.
There is a part that we can play with God in this, and it overflows from what he has done for us. One of the problems I encounter time and time again is people think that Christians feel they have to do good stuff to get into heaven. I met some Jehovah’s Witnesses the other day who said just that.
Truth is, we enter heaven, and have a friendship with God the Father because of the love and grace he has shown us, there is nothing we can do! But as much as we are loved, we can’t then but help ourselves but love others.
It’s like pouring out what you have out of a jug….but you’re doing it at the same time as standing underneath a powerful waterfall.
In other words, you can never give out as much as God wants to give you.
You see, God is wonderful, beautiful even. He is described in a song as the Rose of Sharon. The rose is the most beautiful of flowers; and the valley of Sharon was a valley in the bible full of flowers!
(Only thing is, oh those of theological inclinations, this is really supposed to be the name given to the bride in Song of Songs, and not to the lover. The rose really should be Israel…which in the New Testament is also attributed to the church as the Bride of Christ)
