Verse: Hebrews 13:5-6
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Devotion
Whether you are familiar with the Bible or not, you’ve probably heard it misquoted as saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” What 1 Timothy 6:10 actually says is: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” The important distinction there is reiterated by the author of Hebrews in verse 5. The love of money implies an obsession with it…acquiring it, having it, spending it, flaunting it. In contrast to obsession, he goes on to remind us that God calls us to be content…in what we have, in our circumstances, in him.

If anyone ever had reason to not be content in their circumstances, wouldn’t it have been the Israelites, wandering in the desert for 40 years? Talk about a test of patience! We can’t wait for traffic to clear up, or the doctor to be ready for us, or a website to refresh. And what is discontentment, really, but a lack of trust in God? But just as he told Joshua when he took over for Moses, he tells us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) He kept his promise to Joshua and the Israelites, just like he has kept every promise he has ever made, so what reason do we have not to trust him?

Our circumstances are different from those of the Israelites. And when we’re in the midst of them, they can certainly seem unique to us. But there is one common thread in all circumstances that we face as believers…God is in them with us! And he has promised us:
1) He helps us
2) We have nothing to fear
3) Man can do nothing to us

Now, we know that there are scary things in the world, and that man can cause harm to his fellow man. So doesn’t that tell us that God is speaking of a bigger picture? He has helped us by sending his son to die on the cross and save us from our sins. We need not fear, because we have the hope and assurance of our salvation. Though we may be physically harmed or even killed, man cannot touch our soul, or take away our eternal inheritance. The secret to being content in our current circumstances is to remember that they are simply that…current. Our permanent circumstance is to be in the presence of God!

Prayer
God, thank you for always being true to your promises. Teach us everyday to trust you more, and not to obsess about things we don’t have, but to be grateful for and content in what we do. Because we know that one day we will finally enjoy all you have in store for us. Amen.

Author: Dave MacDonald