OVERCOMING DEBT

Pocketful of Miracles

CBN.com – Life is good for Clifford and Lillian Rosa. They live in beautiful Hawaii near their daughters and grandchildren, and they have a very successful construction business. While their lives are full of prosperity now, there was a time not so long ago when the Rosas owed $40,000.

"We started to really decline financially," says Clifford. "Everything came to a standstill. All of a sudden, it was upon me that we were totally in debt."

Lillian recognized the main reason for their mismanaged funds.

"We took our eyes off God as the supplier of our needs," she explains, "and, to me, our downfall was we took our eyes off God."

As a result, the Rosas lost their home.

"I lost everything I had, I mean literally lost everything I had," says Clifford.

Sometimes, as Lillian recounts, money was so tight that they had only rice and soy to eat. The financial stress was so bad that Lillian fell into a deep depression.

"Physically, it took a toll on me. I got very sick and everything was really hard," she says. "My husband is always full of faith and always looking to God that He’s going to supply our needs. I knew God would. It's just that I wanted it now; I didn’t want to wait. There were many nights I slept on the sofa in the living room because I couldn’t lie down. I had a hard time breathing, and I would sit there and I would ask God, 'Do You know who I am? Do You see me? Do You care?' "

The Rosas had been faithful tithers for years. And despite their seemingly insurmountable debt, they kept giving, believing in God’s faithfulness.

"We never ever stopped tithing or giving," Clifford states. "Even though we did not have money for food, and we barely had anything to eat, we still tithed."

Clifford says the ultimate challenge came when God asked him to give the last few dollars he had to CBN to help the hungry.

"I’m going to take this five dollars and I’m going to feed the hungry with this five dollars," Clifford told himself. "I went down to the post office, and as I was walking to the post office, believe it or not, I didn’t hear an exterior voice but I knew in my heart God said that wasn’t all. I had two dollars more in my pocket. I took out that two dollars more, I opened the envelope again, and I put in a total of seven dollars. It was cash because we didn’t even have a bank account."

After Clifford’s obedient surrender to God, things started turning around. Business increased. Soon they were completely out of debt and Lillian was delivered from despair.

"We have hope," says Lillian. "Even though everything is gone, we have hope, because God will make a way when there is no way."

God even redeemed the Rosas foreclosure. The man who bought their home became their landlord, asking the Rosas for only half the market rate for rent.

That’s not all. Clifford desperately needed a new truck for his rejuvenated business. God provided in a most unusual way.

Says Clifford, "I opened my mail and I looked at this check. This check said $35,000 or something like that. I looked at this check and I thought, Is this a bona fide check? I recognized the insurance company names, things that I invested in years ago. I told my wife, 'God bought us our truck!' She said, 'What?' I said, 'God bought us our truck! Take a look at this.' "

It was money from an insurance policy Clifford bought when he was 19. He hadn’t thought about it in years.

"It was unbelievable because it was money we didn’t have," Lillian explains. "It just came, and there was enough to buy the truck that he wanted. That’s how big our God is. He knows your heart, He knows what you need, and He can give it to you."

God is true to His word! Clifford and Lillian Rosa acted in obedience to God's word and were amazed by what He did in their lives. He will amaze you, too! Discover God's secret of reciprocity by becoming a CBN partner today. Through your partnership with CBN, you will help feed hunger children here in America and around the world, give practical teaching and biblical answers through The 700 Club broadcast, and bring relief to those with physical and spiritual needs. Join today.

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