By ANNIE WESCHE
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is
our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances…
Psalm 68:19–20a
I’ll never forget the day my debt was cleared.
The heavy, soul-disquieting weight I’d been carrying for several years was lifted in a moment — an expression of the mercy of God, the love of the body of Christ, and the profound beauty of grace.
My debt had begun growing slowly in the background of life, amid the back and forth rhythm of small charges and monthly payments. But then with a move, a sudden family crisis, unexpected car repairs, the passing of my dear mum, and funeral expenses — my debt grew heavier. Looking back, I made many decisions from a place of fear rather than faith in God as my Provider.
As I pondered what my debt could become if I didn’t make significant changes, it drove me to my knees for the Lord’s guidance and help. I confessed any decisions made out of fear that had brought me to where I was, freshly yielded my finances back under His Lordship, and thanked Him for being my Provider.
For a few years, I labored earnestly to pay down my debt. I frequently prayed over my finances (and purchases), tightened my budget, changed spending habits, and asked the Lord to provide new opportunities for side income that I could put towards my debt. This season of practicing faithfulness and personal discipline was so good! I said no to many things and trusted God for things that were out of my reach. And He was faithful. He met all my needs. But even though I was staying within budget every month, I had little (if any) margin and just wasn’t seeing my debt balance go down. My best efforts were failing.
God then allowed even greater financial strain to come into my life. My dad’s health took a downward turn (I’m his caregiver), our dryer broke, my car needed repairs again, and our landlord informed us that she needed to double … yes, double our rent. The weight of it all overwhelmed me and my body was beginning to fall apart under the stress.
How are we going to make it, Lord? I feel like I’m drowning. But I trust You. You’ve met every need we’ve had so far and You will meet these new needs. Show me Your way through this. Please carry me.
It was in that season that God lovingly leveraged my overwhelm to take me from learning personal, faithful stewardship and self-discipline to seeking out the wisdom and help of others. I reached out to a godly couple at church, expressing my need for wise counsel in the area of finances, and they quickly came alongside me — generously extending love, understanding, guidance, and encouragement. They prayed with me, cried with me as I unburdened my heavy heart, gave me practical steps to take, and reassured me with hope that God was at work in this area of my life — that He would be faithful.
The time with them brought a fresh wind of hope into the sails of my soul!
A short time passed as I put into action the practical steps we had discussed, and at a follow-up meeting I was eager to share with them the progress that had been made. I had mapped out a more realistic budget, God had provided an increased salary to meet the needs of that budget, and we had successfully negotiated a lower rent increase with our landlord. The couple celebrated with me and we talked through a few additional things I could do. And then, to my utter surprise, they said, “Annie, we’ve approached the elders at church and they all agreed — we want to fully pay off all your debt.”
After a brief moment of shock, I realized what they had just said and couldn’t hold back my tears. I was in awe, overwhelmed by God’s goodness and this love of my church family. In a single moment, the heavy weight I’d been carrying for years was lifted!
I drove home that evening struggling to see the road through my tears. As I cried aloud again and again, “Thank you, Jesus, thank you!” My thoughts kept turning to an immeasurably greater debt Jesus had paid on my behalf. He had lifted an impossible-to-remove burden off me at Calvary. He endured unimaginable suffering and death that was rightly mine to receive for my sin. He, who was without sin, took the punishment for mine. And if He had already met the greatest need of my life, why would He not also care for these “lesser” needs of my life — a life that belongs to Him?
This reality of Christ’s sacrifice and love — such as we certainly don’t deserve and could never earn — should cause us to quickly, humbly, confidently, (and with repentance when needed) run to Him in faith with the needs we have, even those needs or burdens of our own making. Has He not already shown inexpressible love, grace, mercy, goodness, compassion, and power to save?
I’m so thankful for the season God gave me to work hard to clear my personal debt and learn the day-in-and-day-out disciplines of wise stewardship — the struggle and striving made it all the more meaningful when my debt was paid for me. I’m still growing in this area of faith and wisdom in my finances, but the new habits and changes I’ve made to remain out of debt have been so wonderful. I’m also overwhelmingly thankful for the incredible gift of having my debt fully paid. It is simply mercy, grace, and the beautiful lovingkindness of God. He lovingly gave both experiences for my good and growth.
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I share this with you, dear reader, in the sincere hope that you might be encouraged to bring your own burden to the Lord — be it financial or some other heavy weight that is disquieting your soul’s peace. God has grace and mercy and comfort and guidance to meet you as you humbly draw near.
…I have loved you with an everlasting love…
Jeremiah 31:3
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NIV
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.
Psalm 32:8 NIV
I also share this story to hopefully inspire you to not miss out on the blessing of humbly seeking out wisdom and godly counsel from others. My burden of debt was not one I had been able to fix on my own. But in going to others who had strength in this area, I was able to gain practical wisdom where I lacked, along with encouragement and hope. It was a beautiful gift to no longer walk my trial alone, but to be encouraged and upheld by the strength of the Body of Christ — something God intentionally designed His Body to provide. What undiscovered wisdom, encouragement, and joy awaits us in gleaning from the godly counsel of others?
So run first to Jesus with your burden. Always make Him your first turn for refuge, wisdom, and hope. As you earnestly seek Him for grace and help for your situation, know that He has promised to lead you and help you. And if He puts someone on your heart who may have wisdom to share with you, don’t hesitate to humbly ask.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances…
Psalm 68:19-20a
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:2
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7–8
This article was originally published in Issue 46.
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