I Owed A Debt

I Owed a Debt

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8

Film producer Gabriel Pascal once acquired the film rights to George Bernard Shaw’s plays—a gold mine of entertainment material that practically every producer in Hollywood had tried to buy at one time or another. But the way it happened is utterly implausible.

In 1935, after spending six months in Hollywood doing practically nothing, Pascal, who had made one successful picture in England and a succession of film shorts, left in disgust. Once he arrived in London, out of a clear blue sky he called on Mr. Shaw, whom he had never met, saying he wanted to produce his plays on film.

When Mr. Shaw asked Pascal how much capital he had to do it with, Pascal replied, “Fifteen shillings and sixpence . . . but I owe a pound.”

Delighted as much with Pascal’s brashness as with his obvious admiration for Shaw’s work, Mr. Shaw gave him a pound to pay his debts, and then he agreed to the film experiment. The result was the very successful Pygmalion, which has become a well-loved classic.

In comparison, the mountain of spiritual debt I owed was incomprehensible! It was a debt I could never pay, no matter how I tried. It had me completely overwhelmed and buried alive. And then I discovered that Jesus had paid the debt for me—dying in my place on the cross—and nothing has ever been the same for me again.

So it is for all people who give their debts of sin to him to bear on their behalf. Have you given him your debt to pay? If not, do yourself a favor by releasing your burden to him to carry. It will change your life forever!

For your sweet forgiveness of my enormous debt, Father, I bow in humble gratitude. Thank you for taking away my sins and giving me grace in place of my debt. Amen.