Topic: Work Now, Play Later [Joyce Meyer Devotional 18 January 2021]
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…Pay your debt….— 2 Kings 4:7 (AMPC)
We have seen that the Bible teaches us that we are to owe no man anything except to love him. When we allow debt to overwhelm us, it can bring discouragement and even depression. When Dave and I were young marrieds, we got into trouble with debt. We did it by running up our credit cards to the maximum buying things we wanted for ourselves and our children. We were making the minimum payment on the balance each month, but the interest was so high we never seemed to make any progress toward paying off what we owed. In fact, we just kept getting deeper and deeper into debt.
If you and I are ever going to get anywhere in the kingdom of God, we must learn to live by wisdom and not by our carnal desire, which is human emotion (SEE PROVERBS 3:13). The Bible teaches that Jesus has been made unto us wisdom, and that the Holy Spirit is wisdom within us (SEE 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 AND EPHESIANS 1:17). If we will listen to the prompting of the Spirit, we will not get into trouble. But if we live by the dictates of the flesh, we are headed for destruction.
Wisdom makes the decision today it will be comfortable with tomorrow. Emotion does what feels good today and takes no thought of tomorrow. When tomorrow arrives, the wise enjoy it in peace and security, but the foolish end up in discouragement and depression. Why? Because the wise have prepared for tomorrow and are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, while the foolish who have put pleasure first must now pay for yesterday.
It is much better to work now and play later, than to play now and worry later! It is so discouraging to go to the mailbox every day and find nothing there but bills, bills, and more bills. Eventually that discouragement leads to depression because of the pressure of not being able to see a way out. How many people are deep in depression right this moment because of overwhelming debt?
To live a disciplined life, we have to be willing to invest today so that we can reap tomorrow. To relieve the discouragement and depression that come from being in debt, we must get out of debt by becoming self-disciplined to think not of today’s sacrifices but of tomorrow’s rewards.
Get ready to see your life transformed by God’s timeless wisdom.
Prayer Starter: Lord, I know I haven’t always been mindful of the future. I ask You to help me operate in wisdom today and every day, so that I can enjoy a more peaceful tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, amen.