“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
This is direct and sharp!
The spirit of God is saying don’t allow what you have or don’t have to determine your sense of security. Be content, trust God and remember that his presence and faithfulness are greater than anything money can provide.
The letter to Hebrews was written to Christians who were experiencing pressure because of their faith. The letter repeatedly speaks about suffering, endurance, persecution, reproach and the temptation to draw back from Christ. By chapter 10, some believers had endured public insults, imprisonment and the loss of property because they identified with Christ (Hebrews 10:32-34). So Hebrews 13:5 is not being spoken in a comfortable vacuum.
Telling someone who has lost everything to “be content” sounds harsh if it just means “stop complaining.” But that is not what it means. It is saying your safety and worth do not come from what you own or what you lost. Possessions can be wiped out in a second, but God does not leave. Real security comes from his presence, not your stuff.
The same promise was given to Joshua, but it came with a different instruction. The Lord said, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” *”Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you…*” Joshua 1:5,7
At a glance, you can say Joshua is being told what he must do in the face of what lies ahead, while the Hebrews are being told how they should respond to what they have or don’t have. But both instructions address how God’s promise of his presence speaks into different kinds of human insecurity.
Our response to insecurity will look different depending on what we are facing. God’s presence is the answer to human insecurity. But his presence did not mean we had nothing to do. We have a response to make.
Keep your mind right and do what you have been instructed to do.
When the Hebrews were facing insecurity about what they had or did not have, they were told to be content and keep themselves free from the love of money. When Joshua was facing what lay ahead, he was told to be strong, courageous and careful to obey what God had instructed him.
God’s presence does not remove our responsibility. It gives us the security to respond rightly.
