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The first thing we need to do is to deny ourselves a little sometimes.
Wait on the Lord a little, now and then, for HIM to provide. We live
in a “now” world. We want it now, or we “need” it now, when the truth
is, we probably don’t “need” most of it at all. And we surely don’t need
it NOW…at least MOST of the time. But we THINK we do. See? We
need to renew our minds! 

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches
in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19).

We’re afraid God may not think we need it. Or maybe it’s just something
we WANT…

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor
to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in
God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
(1 Tim. 6:17).

Ok, then. He will meet our needs according to his glorious riches, and
he will richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment. But will He
do it NOW? This is where we get ourselves into trouble. We want it
NOW. Sooooo, we pull out our trusty credit card, and voila! We’re
in debt up to our eyeballs before we know it…

Goliath has gotten his big meaty claws on us cuz we got too close!

I’ll be the first one to say that God doesn’t always give us everything
we want…which is a good thing, by the way. But I’ll also boldly declare
that by His own word, He wants us to prosper and flourish! I will
never be convinced by anyone other than the Lord, that it’s His will
for us to live in poverty or to be “just getting by.”

Jesus has already told us we will always have the poor among us (Matt.
26:11 and Mark 14:7). But I don’t believe that’s because it’s God’s will
for us to be poor. Rather, I believe it’s because He knows our nature,
and because of our nature, we’re going to always do foolish things that
end up keeping us in a self-imposed bondage…

I want to share a few things with you. These are not my own words,
nor my own thoughts.

“Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that
you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will
possess.”  (Deuteronomy 5:33)

“The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord
our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case
today.” (Deuteronomy 6:24)

“The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb,
the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he
swore to your forefathers to give you.” (Deuteronomy 28:11)

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be
refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25)

“Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the
righteous.”  (Proverbs 13:21)

“A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord
will prosper.” (Proverbs 28:25)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
(Jeremiah 29:11)

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.” (John 10:10)

There are many others. Does this REALLY sound like a God that
wants his people to live in poverty and debt?

I mentioned being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Things
happen sometimes. Sometimes life just takes a turn that leaves us kinda
hanging and we take the only option we see…debt. And we can blame
life for our debts and our problems. But more often than not, it’s our own
doing.

In school, we learned to COUNT money, but not to MANAGE money.
Our society bombards us with easy money and the notion that debt is just
a natural part of life. I’ve lived long enough to know that it wasn’t always
like that. A few short years ago, people were encouraged to save money,
not borrow it. And if you DID borrow it, you’d better believe they checked
you (and your history) out from head to toe and belly button to booty to
make sure you had the ability to pay it back. And they had…(gasp!)…
LIMITS!

Today (ok, maybe not TODAY, but before the big bust a couple of years
ago), anybody could get credit anywhere. They still had limits, but they were
so ridiculous, they might just as well have not been there. If you had a name
and a social security number (and who doesn’t have those?) you could get
money. Didn’t really matter if you could pay it back. That’s what led to
the bust in the first place!

I can only speak for myself…but when I borrowed money or applied for
a credit card, or charged something at a store, I never once realized that
I was a sucker or that I was putting my foot straight into the devil’s snare.
Not even once. Never crossed my mind. In fact, in those days, the credit
card companies were sending out all kinds of stuff to make you think you
were getting a good deal by going into debt with them…

Ya know, a credit card at 5 % interest and a limit of several thousand
dollars sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Especially when you get 0 % for
the first year or so…doesn’t it? Even if you don’t NEED a card…that’s a
hard one to let pass. What if there’s an emergency or something???

Nothing but bait on the hook! And we nibble away until we get caught.
Then we sit there wiggling on the hook, wondering how the heck we’re
gonna get off of this thing and back to living our lives…

I know people that pay $15-20 a week for a television set. A television
set! That’s $20 a week for a YEAR. Sometimes a year and a half,
depending on where you shop. But it’s a good deal. Because it’s only
$20 a week and there’s no credit check. Doesn’t matter that you could
stick that same twenty bucks in a shoe box for a couple of months, then
go to Walmart and pay cash for it and be done with it…

I know people that pay 20 % or more interest on their credit cards.
I know people that can make the minimum payment on their card, and
end up with a larger balance AFTER the payment than they had BEFORE
it! But it’s a good deal. It’s only $15 a month…

We have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Debt is an
enemy. A Goliath. And we each have to stand our ground, face our
own giant and bring him down in a pile of dust. We have the weapons.
Now we have to use em.

Your Goliath is bigger than you, and he’s stronger than you.
Without trying to insult you, he’s smarter than you. BUT…
and this is a BIG but…you have been given authority over
him by Jesus (Luke 10:19)! You’re a puny little speck in the
eye of your giant…but greater is he who is in you, than he who
is in the world (1 John 4:4).

You can win. But you may have to be transformed a little, by
the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2).  

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise…”
(Eph. 5:15)

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him,
standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers
throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
(1 Peter 5:8,9).

“…in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware
of his schemes.” (2 Cor. 2:11).

Wow! Does this stuff sound like “debt” or what? Our enemy, that
ol’ serpent, the devil, has an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal
to throw our way. Debt is only ONE of them. But the offensive and
defensive weapons that the Lord has given to US are effective against
anything that ol’ snake can bring against us! These verses don’t apply
only to debt, but to our battle in general…we just happen to be using
debt for our study!

It’s important that you understand this is not JUST about debt, but
about YOUR GOLIATH…whatever he may represent. I have chosen
debt. Your Goliath may be something entirely different, but it doesn’t
matter because the stones are still the stones, the Word is still the Word,
Jesus is still Jesus, and the giant still dies in the end! God doesn’t want you
free from DEBT. He wants you free from GOLIATH! I know I’ve said it before,
and I’ll most likely say it again, but I can’t stress it enough. It’s not about
debt, but about freedom in Christ! Debt is only one small part of it…

Brothers and sisters around the world are suffering from debt. We’re
controlled by it. We are ruled by it. We have been outwitted by the
world and the serpent, himself. Debt is not of God, and if it’s not of God,
there’s only one other source. We have been taken captive, and it’s
time to step out in the freedom that we’ve already been given!

You’ve got your purpose…to defeat your Goliath. Now,
let’s work on a little knowledge. The first thing you have to
understand is this: Debt is your enemy! You don’t just have
to know it, you have to understand it and believe it.

“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant
to the lender.”   (Prov. 22:7)

“The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant
of the poor is seized for a debt.” (Job 24:9)

“Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up
and make you tremble? THEN YOU WILL BECOME THEIR
VICTIM.” (Hab. 2:7 – emphasis mine)

If you’ve ever had any amount of debt at all, then you have,
most likely, experienced the truth of these verses to some
degree. We’re not supposed to be servants to our lenders,
but to our Lord! You’ve got to KNOW this, okay? It’s part
of your stone of knowledge.

Wait a sec…let me back up a minute and re-phrase this thing.
Debt is an enemy of CHRISTIANS. It’s also a TOOL of ours
to advance the kingdom of God. The difference is, we are to be
the compassionate LENDERS and GIVERS…NOT the
BORROWERS…but more on THAT later!

Remember the face you were supposed to put on your Goliath?
Pull it up again and take a good hard look at it. I don’t want you
to forget it any time soon, because that’s the face of your enemy!
Now, while we have been given victory over him through the blood
of Jesus, keep in mind that we still have to fight the battle! And
just because we have been given victory, that doesn’t mean this
guy is going to be a push-over.

David hurled his stone from a distance and clobbered Goliath
between the eyes…then he ran over and cut off his head. If you’re
still a distance away from your Goliath, that’s the way to do it.
Stay out of his reach while you hurl your stones. If you’re already
too close, and he’s reached out and grabbed you and has you tight
in his clutches, you can still win. You just have to fight a little harder…

Now then, we have our five stones. Purpose, Knowledge, Faith,
Action and Prayer. Let’s take a closer look at the “Purpose” stone.
Your purpose is to defeat your Goliath. He may wear different armor
from mine, or he may be shouting different words at you ,but we all
have at least one standing out in the field yelling at us…defying us.
Again, for this particular study, we’re looking at the Goliath of debt.

To recap a little, we know our enemy is loud, intimidating and
obnoxious. He’s arrogant. He’s BIG and he has the appearance of
being one really bad dude! At the same time, those things are
advantages for us! He doesn’t see us as competition, so he’s not
prepared for us to run quickly toward him, ready to take him on
in mortal combat!

I want you to put a face to your Goliath of debt…a mean, scary
looking, sneering face…and I want you to know that he’s your
enemy. There are those that hold the belief that some debt can
be a good thing. For instance, borrowing money for investment
properties can be used as a tax write off. The thing is, there’s
nothing in the Bible that supports that belief. (We’ll look more into
some of that a bit later). In fact, you’ll pay far more in interest than
you will ever write off of your taxes!

Anyway, debt is your enemy. If you’ll go back and read the story
of David and Goliath one more time, you’ll find his mission is clear:

“Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come
out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the
servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I
overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.””
(1 Sam. 17:8,9)

Do you see that? He wants you to become his subject and serve him!
Tell me what your debt does to you in your life, and I’ll tell you what it
does in mine…it causes us to become it’s subjects and serve it! We
struggle to carry the heavy yokes our “master” puts upon our shoulders!

But here’s the thing…

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matt. 6:24)

And yet, we do try so hard to do just that! We are obligated by
our debts to serve our Goliath…but we willingly choose and desire
to try and follow our Savior. It’s no wonder we’re often so powerless
in battle…

Debt is your enemy. Your Goliath. Your purpose is to defeat him.
To leave him crumpled on the field of battle, with his head cut off,
exposed for what he really is…just another empty carcass of deceit…

The final stone….

There’s a lot to be said about this stone, but I’m going to try (for
the most part) to stick with the subject at hand! 

Keep in mind, that we’re talking about a CHILD here, when we
talk about David…at least, at this point in his life. A child that was
facing a giant. A child that had already killed, BY HAND mind you,
not just a lion, but also a bear. (This guy has a sense of maturity!)

Now, David had the purpose, the knowledge and faith to take
action against Goliath. Why? Because he knew God was with him.
The Lord had already given him victory over two powerful creatures
of the wild…and he had no doubt that the Lord would also give him
victory over Goliath. How could this KID have such a strong trust
in God?

Because David had a relationship with Him. A relationship, that
apparently had been developing for years, even though he had barely
entered his teenage years. And how do you develop a relationship?
By spending time with someone…getting to know them and who they
are as a person. Talking. Listening. Just hanging out…

I’m sure that David, as a shepherd boy, had a lot of quiet time to
spend with God. I’m pretty sure they talked a lot, whether it was
late at night when the sheep were asleep and all was quiet…or whether
it was as David trudged along the mountainside leading the sheep to
food or water. Of course, we call it “Prayer.”

Keep in mind, that the power behind prayer is not in the prayer, but
in the God who hears it. I can feel a LOT of tugging in several
different directions at the moment, as far as this topic goes! One
interesting note, is that prayer has the divine power to demolish
strongholds which our Goliaths have established in our lives (2 Cor.
10:4), for instance.

What is prayer? There are all sorts of definitions, of course, but
simply put, it’s just communicating with God, whether you’re doing
it with words or not! Communication, by the way, is not only us
chattering away and telling him about all the things we want or need,
but it’s about listening, too! A one way “communication” is not
“communication”…it’s a monologue!

I wan’t going to mention this, and I promise I don’t mean any harm
by it, but I find the temptation to great to resist for my slightly warped
sense of humor…I’m really NOT trying to offend, here, it’s just that
it makes me smile a little to think of it…

Did ya know that people were “praying” before King James was ever
born? Yet, and still, God heard…  

We know David had a stone of “Purpose.” His purpose was to
defeat Goliath. We know he had a stone of “Knowledge.” As
foolish as it may seem to us for a shepherd boy with a slingshot
to face a champion warrior outfitted with the finest armor and
weaponry, he used what he knew. (It brings to mind 1 Cor. 1:27).
And, we know he had a stone of “Faith.” He had faith in his God
to deliver him from the hand of the giant, just as He had done from
the paw of the lion and the bear.

Now, he needed another stone. The stone of “Action.” Without
“Action,” the other stones would have been useless! It’s already
been pointed out, but if you’ll read the story one more time, after
David scooped his stones out of the stream, he “ran quickly” toward
Goliath, swinging his sling over his head…HE TOOK ACTION!

Purpose, knowledge and faith aren’t much good without action.

“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is
useless?” (James 2:20)

Now, please don’t get confused over the issue of salvation here. You
don’t have to have works or deeds in order to be saved. In fact,

“…it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God—NOT BY WORKS, so that
no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9  NIV– emphasis mine).

Instead, what James was saying was this: If you need a gallon of milk,
your purpose might be to go the store and buy one. You may know how
to get there, exactly where the milk is located, and you may know
that you have the financial means to make the purchase. You may be
filled with faith that the milk will be, not just present, but fresh and
cold…just the way you like it. But if you don’t take action…if you don’t
GO TO THE STORE AND GET THE MILK, you’ll still be sitting
at home purposing, knowing and having faith….but still without milk.

But here’s the trick. It’s up to us to figure out what action to take.
Sometimes, we have to run toward the champion warrior with our
slingshots. Sometimes, we have to “Be still, and know that I am
God…(Ps 46:10). There are times that we may have to hold our
hands up (Ex. 17:11,12) or march around the city once a day for
six days (Joshua 6). Sometimes we might have to spit in the mud
(John 9:6)…other times we may simply have to pick up our mat and
walk (Matt. 9:6) our stretch out our hand (Matt. 12:13).

The power is not in our actions, but in the God that directs the actions
we take. Moses raising his staff would NEVER have parted the Red
Sea on his own. At the same time, raising his staff was the action that
imparted the power of God to work on his behalf…an act of faith,
knowledge and purpose.

How can we know the actions we are to take? Ah….that’s the next
stone…

“A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said,
“Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”

No matter what you can or can’t do otherwise…

You can always pray for someone.

It’s interesting to note that Paul often mentioned praying for other
believers. In his letters, he also encouraged the churches to pray
for other believers. It’s interesting to read the words of Jesus in
John 17:9 (NLT):

““My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you.”

And in verse 20:

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever
believe in me through their message.”

Did you notice that? Jesus wasn’t praying for the world or for the lost.
He was praying for believers! Paul never mentioned praying for the lost,
but, rather for other believers! Now, there’s nothing wrong with praying
for unbelievers…that’s not the point, here. There are a great many folks
in heaven today because someone was praying for their salvation and
God answered those prayers.

The point is….Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Who are his sheep? Those
who have called upon his name for his saving grace and for redemption
through his blood on the cross. Who did Jesus and Paul pray for, and urge
others to pray for? Other believers! Why?

Because prayer is sheep food, friends! Prayer is sheep food! 

If you can’t give your time, and you can’t give your money, and you can’t
give your talents, and you can’t pass along a blog or two (hint, hint!), or
preach at a Billy Graham crusade, or sing “Amazing Grace” in front of
thousands of people, there is still ONE thing you can do that’ll feed the
flock…you can pray for other believers.

You can do it anywhere, anytime, out loud or in your heart…and it won’t
cost you a single dime. Honest!

If you can’t think of anyone to pray for, I’m gonna take that excuse away
from you right now! How’s that? Because you can always pray for ME!! 

That’s why faith in God is so hard. I don’t want him to tear down the
shack I live in so He can build me a palace. I’ve been deceived by
the serpent, just like Eve was…into believing that the run-down, leaky,
drafty, little tent that I call my life, is really a pretty sweet deal! I mean,
I’m content with it! I see no need to rock the boat…or to destroy what
I’m used to and comfortable with…even though, admittedly, there is
room for improvement, here and there…

I’m content to settle for the tent…leaks, holes and all. The thing is,
God wants better for me. Any father that loves his child wants the
very best for that child. God wouldn’t be God, if He allowed me to
live in my shack. By His very nature, He has to force me to move into
the palace. Why?

Because I KNOW my shack. I KNOW where the leaks are. I KNOW
where the holes and creaky boards are. I KNOW which windows are
broken and where the mice are getting in. I’m content with my little run-
down shack because I am familiar with it. I’m in surroundings that I know
and understand. I can get bigger buckets to catch the water as the leaks
get bigger…because I KNOW WHERE THE LEAKS ARE!

I know nothing about this palace my Father wants to build from the
rubble of my life. What if I don’t like it? What if the rooms are too big,
or too small? What if I don’t like where it’s at? What if the neighbors
are too nosy or too noisy? What if I can’t afford the taxes?

I fail to understand that it’s a gift from my Father. I fail to realize, that,
just as He built the palace for me, He will also make sure the location is,
not good…but perfect…for me. Not perfect for YOU…but perfect for ME.

It’s not within my grasp, that I don’t have to pay the taxes. But, after all,
my palace is in HIS name…so I’m sure, they’ve already been paid. He has,
after all, paid all my other debts…for all eternity, no less!

He knows my likes and dislikes better than, even I, do. Why would
He build me a palace I couldn’t stand to be in? That’s just it…He
wouldn’t….

Maybe it’s not a lack of faith in Him after all. Maybe it’s fear of having
my shack destroyed. Or fear of the pain it will cause.  I’m not sure I’m
strong enough to handle that kind of hurt…the hurt that comes from
destruction of my life, in order to build my LIFE…

Maybe it’s because I can SEE my shack. I can’t SEE my palace.
I can’t FEEL the joy or comfort of what hasn’t yet been built. I don’t
mind, so much, the new palace being built…I just don’t want to see my
beloved shack destroyed…especially not with me in it…

I’ve read about Job’s shack being destroyed. And David’s…and even
God’s own temple. And I’ve read about them being rebuilt, even bigger
and better than before. Interestingly, I’ve also noticed something else.

The shacks that were destroyed were always man-made, while the
palaces were always built by God…

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me
overcome my unbelief!” “(Mark 9:24)

But if possible, please do it gently….

We have been given a tremendous responsibility. We have been
directed to feed the Lord’s sheep in his absence. We’ve been given
the job of  tending the flock until he returns.

If you have pets, don’t YOU find someone to care for them until you
return? If you’re a farmer…doesn’t someone have to feed the livestock
if you leave home…even for just a day or two?

If you love Jesus…if you’re his friend…then he has requested you to do a
mighty big job for him until he gets back. He has enlisted you to feed his
sheep…tend the flock. Take care of them and make sure no harm comes
to them…to keep the wolves away, to keep them warm in the winter, find
them shelter from the rain…feed them when they’re hungry, and give them
water when they’re thirsty. Think of the AWESOME task he has given you!

“If you love me…THEN take care of my sheep.”

“If you are my friend…THEN feed my lambs.”

Now, you may have been doing that all along, whether you realize it or
not. Or, maybe you haven’t realized it’s a part of your job as one of his
own. Either way, it’s a rather sobering thought to think that tonite your
phone might ring and the voice on the other end might ask…

“Hi Peter! How’s everything going? How are my sheep? Got plenty of
food? Making sure they’re getting watered everyday?”

So how exactly can we feed his sheep? Not everyone is called to be a
pastor of a church. Not everyone is called to be an apostle or a teacher.
Not everyone is made to write, sing or talk about Jesus. Some folks just
aren’t put together that way! That’s very true…but we ARE all called to
feed his sheep…and ANYBODY can do that. Anyone can do it without
trying to become something they’re not.

For instance, maybe you can pay your tithes or give money to
organizations or programs that help spread the gospel…or that feed the
hungry…or that care for the sick, give hope to the dying. You don’t have
money? No problem…you don’t need money to feed the Master’s sheep!
All you need is a little “want to.”

Cut the grass for the elderly lady down the street. Take her some left-over
lasagna one night. Leave a little note on the door once in a while that
says, “Have a nice day!”

When you see someone carrying a load that’s too heavy, offer to carry a
bag or two. When you see someone that’s overwhelmed by life, stop and
ask them how it’s going…THEN (there’s that word again) listen to what they
say. Sometimes all we have to do to feed his sheep is to let them know that
someone gives a damn about who they are and how they are…

You don’t have to talk about Jesus, or write about Jesus or sing about
Jesus. Those things are all fine and good. But I think there’s one thing that
overshadows any and all of those things…the ONE thing that will
feed his sheep until he returns to care for them himself is this:

It’s not learning to LIVE like Jesus…because not a single one of us can do
that. Instead, we should be learning to LOVE like Jesus. And in trying to
LOVE like Jesus, you’ll end up learning to depend on the Holy Spirit a lot
more than you do, because some folks are just plain ol’ down-right hard to
love sometimes! You just have to choose to love them anyway. You
might be totally astonished at what a little “nourishment” might do for some
of those “unlovable” people! I’m convinced if we can learn to LOVE like
Jesus, we’ll find ourselves LIVING a lot more like Jesus!

“A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said,
“Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”