Our Burden Bearer, Debt Breaker, and Jubilee 9-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me let Your life be expressed through my life today. ... "Do not be one of those who gives pledges, who become surety for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?" (Proverbs 22:26-7). Overwhelming debt seems to be crushing the economy of our nation, crushing the peace and sense of security of all who are touched by it. Some are overwhelmed because they've borrowed beyond their means. Some are overwhelmed because they've enticed others to borrow beyond their means. And some are overwhelmed because everybody around them is overwhelmed. Our economy needs divine correction. Our leaders and our people don't have the answers because apart from You, there are no answers. But we don't have to be apart from You, we don't have to try to fix our overwhelming human mess in our underwhelming human wisdom. We can humble ourselves to seek Your face and Your wisdom. "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be give to you. But ask in faith ..." (James 1:5-6). Lord, give us faith as a people and a nation to turn to You and trust in You, desperately depending upon You alone to give us Your wisdom. Let us not try to explain away or cover up our sins of material lust, self-centered indulgence, predatory lending, greed, and rebellion against the wisdom of Your Word and Your ways. Let us admit the sin for the sin that it is and repent before You, personally and as a people of a nation humbling themselves before God (2 Chronicles 7:14). Though You warn us against becoming ensnared by debt, You also always provide a means of rescue. Under the Old Covenant, You provided a year of jubilee. "Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts" (Deuteronomy 15:1). You called Your people to have a heart to give to the needy, but also never to take more than is needed (v. 15:7-11). And every seven of seven years was a year of jubilee, with complete restoration of all that was lost through foolishness, deceit, calamity, or sin (Leviticus 25:8-55). There is wisdom in Your ways. And when we stumble and are ensnared by following the foolishness of our own wisdom and ways, You want us to turn to You alone as our Wisdom, our Rescue Plan, our Deliverer, our Bearer of our burdens. You are the only Bail-out Plan that we will ever need and that will ever work. The year of jubilee speaks of "the year of the Lord's favor" (Isaiah 61:2). And under Your New Covenant in Christ, our jubilee is fulfilled in You alone (Luke 4:18-19). "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). In this season of shaking, pruning and correction, have mercy upon us as we humble ourselves to turn to You. In You, we will not be overwhelmed or overcome, but we shall overcome. "For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5). "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). You are our Burden Bearer, our Debt Breaker, and our Jubilee. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted at Southland Evangelical Methodist on Clays Mill Rd starting in October). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org