Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say:

 “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

            Frequently in reading Scripture I find something that speaks to me a different way that it had in the past and this passage is one of those.  I have read this many times and each time I focused on the absence of fear when walking with God.  As I read this again there were words that flooded my heart and mind – ‘Contentment’ and ‘Courage’.

            The apostle, as was his pattern, charged those listening to live without ‘covetousness’ and to live in ‘contentment’.  I believe that he understood something that we have missed too often that COVETOUSNESS is one of, if not the biggest problems in believers lives.  I believe that virtually all the other commandments have their beginning in that little self-centered, green-eyed monster and as we give way to it in our lives we find ourselves succumbing to numerous other failures in life and character.

            His encouragement and qualifier for living a life of CONTENTMENT was God’s Promise, “I will NEVER leave your nor forsake you.”  If I truly believe God’s Promise then I can be absolutely ‘content’ in whatever state I find myself because I know as David declared, “I was young and now I am old and I have not seen the righteous forsake nor his seed begging for bread.”   We can take the many promises of provision including, “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.”  The question is not God’s ability but our confidence in His Word.  So, if I believe God then CONTENTMENT is a natural by-product of that trust and I do not have to look with envy or covetousness toward anyone or anything after all My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He owns the hills.  There is NOTHING impossible with Him and I am His therefore I trust, relax and rest in confident contentment.

            The apostle did not stop there but identified that out of our contentment we can make a bold declaration that since God is my provider, my helper, my teacher, my guide, and my protector – I WILL NOT FEAR.  My life then will be lived without fear of man or anything because what can mortal man do to me?  He may take away my possessions but God can and will provide.  He may take away my physical freedom but I’m free in spirit and can never be enslaved even if I am imprisoned.  He may take away my life but my life is not dependent on how long I draw breath on planet earth for I am an eternal creation and should they snuff out my physical life I simply transition to ETERNAL LIFE.   What can man do to me?   Much but nothing in comparison to what God can do for me. 

            So as you go through this day ask the Holy Spirit to help you TRUST the Promises of God so you can truly live in CONTENTMENT and COURAGE.   God bless you as you go through your day!