Pathway of faith

What do we do about money troubles or debts? How do we keep up with rising prices and changing conditions? How are the rent and utilities going to be paid? If these are some of the questions which perplex people, then there is a tremendously important message in this article. For here we will discover the wonderful truth that God wants us to be blessed! It is not God’s will that we should lack the things we need in life. God created a world of abundance for all people. He laid down certain guidelines that have to do with life and success. And all He asks is that we obey what He has asked of us! (Phil. 4:19).

The answers are in God’s Word, for when we read the Bible, it is as if God were speaking directly to us. And the place in the Bible where God has shown most clearly His law of joy, peace, and abundance is in the story of the prophet Elisha and the widow. This certain widow was left with two small sons and a heavy burden of debt. In her distress, she went to the prophet and begged for help. The prophet asked her, “What do you have in the house?” and the widow said, “Nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Elisha told her to borrow some vessels from her neighbors and pour the oil into them, keeping only a small quantity for her own use. The rest he told her to go and sell and pay her debts. As it is written, the oil continued to flow, and the widow finally freed herself from debt (2 Kings 4:1-7).

God is trying to give us His law of joy, peace, and abundance through this story of the destitute widow. It is the principle, that we should start with what we have, and God will do the rest. It is the law which, translated into popular speech, says that “God helps those who help themselves.” We need to remember that right here on earth, right where we are, our loving Father has provided everything we need for our success.

Faith and love

One must remember that love is the start of all the worthwhile actions of life, but it must be done in faith – we need to believe that good things will happen as we love others. We cannot love God greatly without keeping His commandments and living out the Golden Rule. And we can’t live by the Golden Rule without making friends. We can’t make friends without benefiting in some way. It is an ongoing circle of blessing, the center of which is love! Friendship and love break down the barriers between people. By loving greatly, we will forget our own issues and will want to help others. We need to serve without thought of receiving a reward, yet God will always bless us for doing what is right.

Give in faith

Jesus knew the secret to success. He was always trying to get people to give up selfish rewards and pleasures and devote their thoughts to helping others. Here is what He so aptly said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25). How true that is as applied to our own achievements! The selfish person who “saves” their life is the one who does not give. Such a person is always thinking “What will I get out of this?” or “What’s in it for me?” And how true it is of people like this, who go through life with the idea of getting only, so often they neither get nor keep wealth. We can succeed both spiritually and financially! Look for work which will be of real service to others, which will help them solve a problem of their own.

At times people will take advantage of us. But for every person who does take advantage there will be many who will trust us, who will like us, who will be friends of ours, who will want to do things for us. There has never been a person with friends who was not successful in the truest and deepest sense of the word. Never was there a person with many friends who did not always have a place to sleep and something to eat. Yes, and a great deal more in most cases! The attitude of kindness, friendship, and helpfulness alone is often enough to help our financial need. For an attitude of friendship makes for a cheerful tolerance of others. It makes for a deep thankfulness for what we have.

Thank God and count the blessings that we have. We need to praise the Lord for everything that comes to us, for it is a symbol of God’s love and abundance for us. As we count our blessings, they will multiply! Quite often we will find that if we are thankful to God for the blessings we do have, even in small things, our eyes will be opened to the blessings which we would have never noticed if we were not thankful. We must be thankful for the work we have even though it may seem unimportant. There is no work, no position, no talent, no skill, no interest so humble that it cannot be the springboard to the blessings which God has for us!

True success

Perhaps some individuals have tried to succeed. Maybe they have prayed for good things to come into their life, and for more enjoyable work. And when they see no outward change, they become despondent and perhaps begin to doubt. However, God can see where we can’t see. Where we may not see an opportunity for growth, He is able to see advancement. The Lord says in His Word, “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known” (Isaiah 42:16). If we don’t know how a mechanic will fix our car, or how a doctor will heal our body, we certainly have faith in their power to do their work. Shouldn’t we have just as much faith in God to let Him work in ways we don’t know about?

With faith in God, good fortune can come to us “in ways we do not know.” A letter may come from someone we may not have heard from before, and it could change our whole life. We may hear a chance word on the street or in a store which may send us off to some place we never thought we would go. An announcement on the radio or an article on the Internet may give us an idea which may start us on an entirely different path! Small things can become turning points in our lives! When we believe that God wants us to be blessed, we will not need to depend on our own resources anymore. Through faith we will be justified in saying, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

Blueprint for a better life

The Bible is God’s Blueprint for building a better life. Are we worried about debt or money troubles? Are we in need of greater abundance, yet burdened down by debt? Many people are concerned, but there is wonderful news which God has been trying to give us all along. If we will only open our eyes to see and listen carefully with our ears, there is good news that God will help us get out of debt!

A person in debt is a person caught in a net. Struggle as we may, the net seems to get tighter around us. Every strange call brings fear to our hearts. We open every letter with concern. We cross the street to stay out of the way of those to whom we may owe money. We become trapped in a net of debt! And yet from that great lighthouse of divine wisdom, the Scriptures, we see shining on us a clear way for God to help us pay our debts.

For we have only to turn to the Bible to find that God has taken thought of us even as we are caught in the net of despair. The Psalmist knew this, for we can still read the wonderfully confident words which he wrote, “He shall pull my feet out of the net” (Psalm 25:15). Yes, God will help us with our debts – no matter how they were incurred. For truly He knows that so many debts come to us because of sudden emergencies – times of sickness and lack, times when we must borrow through no fault of our own. Repaying is not always easy and may sometimes mean self-denial, but God is there to help.

In our own case, self-denial to pay our debts may mean living beneath our means for a time. It may mean doing without or buying for cash instead of “charging it.” This does take character and faith. It does mean we must save a certain amount each week of what comes in, to pay our debt and live off the rest. And yet, with God’s help, it can be done. It has been done by thousands who probably owed more than we owe! The greatest encouragement we can receive is from God’s Word. It says, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17); “The path of a good person is ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23); Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).