Hebrews 13:5 - Contentment Is Learned.
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."
Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) Dont love money; be
satisfied with what you have. For God has said, I
will never fail you. I will never abandon you.
INTRODUCTION
How can we learn to be content? Strive to
live with less rather than desiring more; give
away out of your abundance rather than
accumulating more; relish what you have rather than
resent what you're missing. See God's love
expressed in what he has provided and remember that
money and possessions will all pass away. (See
Philippians 4:11 for more on contentment, and 1 John
2:17 for the futility of earthly desires.) [Life
Application SB]
We become content when we realize God's
sufficiency for our needs. Christians who become
materialistic are saying by their actions that God can't
take care of them - or at least that he won't
take care of them the way they want. Insecurity
can lead to the love of money, whether we are
rich or poor. The only antidote is to trust God
to meet all our needs. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Often we think that contentment comes
from what we have. We might even say, If I
just had this, then I would be content. Or
If I were a bit more intelligent or If I
were a bit better looking or If I were a
little more successful or If I had a bit more
money, then Its a never-ending pursuit of
something that is always just beyond our grasp.
Yet in Philippians 4, the apostle Paul
revealed the secret of contentment. He said, I
have learned the secret of being content in any
and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all
this through him who gives me strength (verses
12"13 NIV).
Paul was in prison when he made that
statement. He didnt receive his contentment from a
theory in a classroom; it was from the school of
life. He had experienced pleasure and pain, health
and sickness, strength and weakness, wealth and
poverty. To some he was a hero, and to others he was
a villain. But he was someone who had found
complete contentment.
Interestingly, Paul used the word
learned. He had learned the secret of being
content in any and every situation. In the
original language, it was a word the pagans generally
used at the time to refer to some special
attainment or an initiation into some hidden truth.
He used their word to essentially say,
Ive found the hidden truth. Ive found the
secret of contentment.
Whats more, the word Paul used for
content means self-sufficient. Therefore, in
the context of this epistle, Paul was speaking
of sufficiency in Christ. He was saying, It
doesnt matter where I am. I am content. I can be at
the bottom of the bottom and be content there,
because it is all about my relationship with
God.
Contentment isnt based on what we
have; its based on who we know. Hebrews 13:5
says, Dont love money; be satisfied with
what you have. For God has said, I will never
fail you. I will never abandon you (NLT).
We often will quote the latter part of
that verse, but lets also consider the entire
statement. God is saying, Be satisfied with what you
have because I never will fail you or abandon
you.
God will be with us, no matter what we
face in life. That is a great assurance. That is
where we find our contentment.
As the psalmist David wrote, The Lord
is my shepherd; I have all that I need
(Psalm 23:1 NLT). If the Lord really is your
Shepherd, then you will find satisfaction and
fulfillment in Him. Therefore, if God blesses you with a
lot, thank Him. And if you dont have as much
as you would like, recognize that your
contentment comes from a relationship with Him.
Pauls contentment came because of his
close and intimate fellowship with Jesus. This
lifted him above his circumstances and gave him the
strength to deal with whatever came his way. [By Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
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
ILLUSTRATION
I cringe whenever someone reminisces
about being accidentally left behind at a
restaurant or gas station on a childhood trip. Sure,
they laugh about it now, but until recently I had
no idea how it must have felt. I never dreamed
it would happen to me, especially in my
sixties.
During a visit from our son Kevin, I
loaded the car with water and snacks for a day trip
and climbed in the back seat. My husband,
Richard, was moving his truck out of the way, and
Kevin was still in the house, so I went back
inside to grab a book. I returned to find the car
gone and the garage door shut. I'd better call
before they get too far! I thought. Then I
remembered that my cell phone was in the car. Since we
don't have a landline, there was nothing I could
do but wait. Later, I learned that they'd left
the subdivision before Kevin smiled and asked,
"Dad, did you forget something?"
People are not infallible. We make
mistakes and let each other down. Even those who love
us may sometimes forget about us or ignore our
needs. But the One who loves us the most will never
do that. Jesus knows exactly where we are at
any given moment. He also knows what we're going
through. Jesus is right there with us, seeing us
through trials and circumstances in ways that even
well-intentioned loved ones can't.
Being left at my own home wasn't scary,
but it was disappointing. What a wonderful
feeling to know that I have Someone who never
forgets me. Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: When you feel abandoned,
forgotten, ignored, or left out, recite Hebrews 13:5 as
a reminder during those times. [Mornings With
Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Hebrews 13:5 - Always There.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220713-0822.html
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190813-1050.html
Hebrews 13:5 - You Can Be Content For God Is
Always With You.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220204-1026.html
Philippians 4:11, 12 - The Secret of
Contentment.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230628-1122.html
Exodus 20:17 (NIV) "You shall not covet.
Devotional pending.
Matthew 28:20b - Christ Our Constant
Companion!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180408-1904.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
