Hebrews 13:5 - You Can Be Content For God Is Always With You.
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) Keep your lives free from
the love of money and be content with what you
have, because God has said, "Never will I leave
you; never will I forsake you."
INTRODUCTION
Christ did not tell His disciples that their
work would be easy. He showed them the vast
confederacy of evil arrayed against them. They would
have to fight "against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places." Ephesians 6:12. But they would not be left
to fight alone. He assured them that He would
be with them; and that if they would go forth
in faith, they should move under the shield of
Omnipotence. He bade them be brave and strong; for One
mightier than angels would be in their ranks - the
General of the armies of heaven. He made full
provision for the prosecution of their work and took
upon Himself the responsibility of its success.
So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in
connection with Him, they could not fail. Go to all
nations, He bade them. Go to the farthest part of the
habitable globe and be assured that My presence will
be with you even there. Labor in faith and
confidence; for the time will never come when I will
forsake you. I will be with you always, helping you
to perform your duty, guiding, comforting,
sanctifying, sustaining you, giving you success in
speaking words that shall draw the attention of
others to heaven. AA29
COMMENTARY PEARL
Above The Clouds
My home is on a mountain nearly four
thousand feet high. Many times we can see below us
the clouds in the valley. Some mornings we wake
up to find that we are in lovely sunshine, but
the valley below is covered with clouds. At
other times thunderstorms come up, and we can see
the lightning flash and hear the thunder roar
down below, while we are enjoying beautiful
sunlight and clear skies above.
Many times I have sat on our rustic front
porch and watched the clouds below. I have thought
of the clouds of discouragement and suffering
that temporarily veil the sunlight of God's love
from us. Many people live with a cloud hanging
over their lives.
The Bible has a great deal to say about
clouds, for they sometimes symbolize the spiritual
forces that obscure the face of God. But He has not
abandoned us. He is still there, and in faith we know
we can trust His promise: "I will never leave
you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). [Hope for Each
Day by Billy Graham re Psalm 36:5]
COMMENTARY
Always There!
I remember one of the first times as a
young believer when I didnt feel Gods
presence. I woke up one morning and just didnt have
the great feeling I had before. And being new in
the faith and not knowing the Bible very well, I
thought, I think God left me last night. What
happened?
When I talked to a Christian friend about
it, he told me, Youre going through a
trial.
What? Im on trial?
No, youre going through a trial.
Whats a trial?
My friend explained there are times in
our lives when we dont feel the presence of
God, but He is still there. And in time I came to
realize that God will allow us to go through
trials.
For instance, you might walk outside
tomorrow, and its an overcast day. So you say,
The sun was here yesterday. But I dont see
the sun today. I don't feel its warmth. I guess
the sun must have gone away last night.
No, the sun hasnt gone away. It has
been merely obscured by a cloud covering. And if
you dont believe that, then try going to the
beach without wearing any sunscreen. When you
return home resembling a ripe tomato, you will
realize the sun was out.
In the same way, some people falsely
conclude that when they dont feel God, He is gone.
He has disappeared. But He is there, even when
you dont feel Him. The Bible tells us in
Hebrews, For He Himself has said, I will never
leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5
NKJV).
It is during these times that we must
walk by faith, not by feeling, because God has
promised in His Word that He will be with us. That is
how we know He is there. [By Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Breaking the Cycle of Sin
People talk about generational curses,
about how theres a curse on their family and
theres no way to break the curse. They say things
like, Its too late for me. Ive made so
many mistakes, and Im in this messed-up
family. I know that Im going to do the same bad
things that my mom and dad did, and then my kids
are going to do them. Theres no way to break
the cycle of sin.
Nonsense.
When Jesus died on the cross, all curses
- all sins - were broken. And when you put
your faith in Christ, youre free from it.
Jesus can change your story.
If statistics went their natural
direction, I would have been divorced multiple times by
now, because my mom was married and divorced
seven times. If statistics went their natural
direction, Id probably be a drunk, because my mom
was an alcoholic. But God interrupted my story.
And He can do the same for you.
The Bible says that Samson didnt
realize the Lord had left him (Judges 16:20 NLT).
In the Old Testament, we read of the Spirit of
God coming upon someone or speaking to someone.
But in Samsons case, the Lord left him.
The good news is that Jesus has promised
believers that He will never leave us or forsake us.
Ever. God will never leave you, no matter what you
have done. God wont leave you, but you can
leave Him. God wont abandon you, but you can
abandon Him. And maybe youve done that.
Maybe youve made the worst decisions
and the worst decisions on top of that. Own
it. Admit it. Repent. Ask God to help. Call out
to Him. The Lord will answer your prayer, and
He will change your story. You can come back to
Him today. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Feeling Alone
As we all know, it's possible to be in a
room full of people and still feel overwhelmed by
loneliness. There were times in my own life when a room
full of people seemed like the loneliest place in
the world. The enemy is clever that way. He
takes advantage of our unresolved hurt and
convinces us to pull away from those we were designed
to be in relationship with.
God did not intend for us to be alone.
When I find myself feeling lonely, I remind
myself that my Father God is always with me. He has
promised never to leave me. I am not alone. Once I've
reconnected with that truth, I feel I have the strength
to reach out to others with honesty and
transparency.
We've all been hurt at one time or
another. Most of us have been hurt many times by
those we loved and trusted. Human beings are
capable of inflicting a lot of pain on themselves
and others. But this does not mean we should
stop reaching out. We need community. We need
each other too much to stay away, too much to
draw back, too much to isolate ourselves from our
brothers and sisters in Christ.
Lord God, you know I've been hurt, but
loneliness hurts as well. Give me the courage I need to
reach out to others again. In Jesus' name, Amen.
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny
Baker]
TESTIMONY
O Love That Won't Let Go
My friend Melanie and I love to sing the
old song, 'O love that will not let me go, I
rest my weary soul in Thee.... We need to. It's
not only because she's holding life together by
her fingers and toes, raising two active little
boys and a toddler in diapers, cheering on her
pastor-husband, keeping house, shopping, cooking, and
running countless errands.
On top of that, she is going blind. Her
world is blurring over. First it was labels on
soup cans. Then it was the aisles in the store.
Soon it will be her children's faces. In an
e-mail, Melanie wrote: "The toughest battles in my
life are coming up and it's as though I'm already
losing the war! I feel as though life is leaving me
as my vision fades. I have such a sense that
'In this world you will have trouble....' Joni,
I am waiting for the peace."
I want to stay close on my friend's heels
as we journey further into the fellowship of
his sufferings. It's a road no one should walk
alone. Me or you. Melanie, on this eve of your
birthday, I'll tell you what. I'll keep being your
eyes, and you keep being my hands. And Jesus will
keep holding us with His grace... his love will
not let us go.
Jesus has promised never to fail us,
never to leave us, never to let us go. But there
are times when we need the warm touch of a
fellow traveler along the sometimes difficult path
of life. Will you be our Lord's touch, his
smile, his comfort, his word of encouragement and
hope to someone in a dark place today?
Lord, You have comforted me so many times
with a word or a hug or a note from one of Your
children. I'm asking You this day for the opportunity
to pass that love along. [Joni Eareckson Tada
Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
I am with you and for you, your constant
Companion and Provider. The question is whether you
are with Me and for Me. Though I never leave
you, you can essentially, "leave" Me by ignoring
Me: thinking or acting as if I am not with you.
When you feel distance in our relationship, you
know where the problem lies. My Love for you is
constant; I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.
It is you who change like shifting sand,
letting circumstances toss you this way and that.
When you feel far from Me, whisper My
Name. This simple act, done in childlike faith,
opens your heart to My Presence. Speak to Me in
love-tones; prepare to receive My Love, which flows
eternally from the cross. I am delighted when you open
yourself to My loving Presence. (Gen. 28:15; Rom.
8:31; Heb. 13:8) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Refresh yourself in the Peace of My
Presence. This Peace can be your portion at all times
and in all circumstances. Learn to hide in the
secret of My Presence, even as you carry out your
duties in the world. I am both with you and within
you. I go before you to open up the way, and I
also walk alongside you. There could never be
another companion as devoted as I am.
Because I am your constant Companion,
there should be a lightness to your step that is
observable to others. Do not be weighed down with
problems and unresolved issues, for I am your
burden-bearer. In the world you have trials and distress,
but don't let them get you down. I have
conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm
you. In Me you may have confident Peace. (Psa.
31:19-20; John 16:33) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Everything You Need
Are you hoping that a change in
circumstances will bring a change in your attitude? If so,
you are in prison, and you need to learn a
secret of traveling light. What you have in your
Shepherd is greater than what you dont have in
life.
May I meddle for a moment? What is the
one thing separating you from joy? How do you
fill in this blank: I will be happy when
________________? When I am healed. When I am promoted. When I
am married. When I am single. When I am rich.
How would you finish that statement?
Now, with your answer firmly in mind,
answer this. If your ship never comes in, if your
dream never comes true, if the situation never
changes, could you be happy? If not, then you are
sleeping in the cold cell of discontent. You are in
prison. And you need to know what you have in your
Shepherd.
You have a God who hears you, the power
of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you,
and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the
Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for
every turn, a candle for every corner, and an
anchor for every storm. You have everything you
need. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC:
Matthew 28:20b - Christ Our Constant
Companion!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180408-1904.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
