To Encourage You

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”

When you read the Bible, do you take note of the personal pronouns?  It’s so important that we do. You see, the Bible wasn’t written for someone else. It’s not a book that’s just written to “religious people,” or to the people of the first century or earlier.  No, its words are written with a purpose of conveying a very personal message to you and to me.  If you don’t think so, just note the personal pronouns in the verse above.  It’s talking about “your life,” and “what you have.” It’s telling believers that are reading the text that God will never “leave you” nor “forsake you.”  It’s telling us that “we” can confidently say, “the Lord is ‘my helper,” and because of that we can say, “I will not fear,” and “what can man do to me?”  Eight personal pronouns in just one verse.  Do you get the message? These words are for you and they are for me. 

So what is God saying to us in such a personal way?  First, He’s telling us to do all we can to free ourselves from the love of money. He’s telling us because it’s a problem for us – every one of us.  It’s the tendency of the natural man. But it’s a trap. It’s an enemy to contentment – your contentment and mine.  It’s that natural tendency to always want more. It’s the weakness that Adam and Eve demonstrated in the garden when they could have the fruit of any tree but one, but that wasn’t enough for them.  The grass was greener on the other side of God’s command.  They thought they knew better than to trust Him.  And so they coveted, and they lost so much more than they already had. Their discontentment with the great gifts of God led to a much greater discontentment in the end.  It’s a trap we’re all susceptible to.  And so God’s message to you and to me, personally, is that whatever you and I have, we should be thankful for it. We should be content in its possession. See what you have as a gift of God, knowing that if He thinks it best for you, personally, to have more, there will be a legitimate time and place to have it.  Don’t pine away for a more money, a bigger car, a nicer house, or whatever else money can buy.  Rather, be thankful for what you do have, for that’s God’s will for you – yes for you, and yes for me!  It’s a personal thing.  God is speaking to us one on one! 

And then this wonderful personal promise: “I will never leave you! I will never forsake you!” God has staked His reputation on this promise to each and every believer. It’s not just for some believers, the more perfect ones, the ones we look up to and wish we were more like. No, He’s given each of us very personally this incredible message of His loving care.  It’s in the belief of what He has said that contentment can be ours each and every moment of every day. 

So, are you listening to His very personal message to you?  Do you want God to personally speak to you? Then read this verse out loud.  And then say back to Him, again out loud if that helps: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” 

Think of it. The omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator of the universe is “(your) refuge and (your) strength, a very present help (to you) in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Praise God for His very personal message to you and me!