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Hebrews 13:5 - You Can Be Content For God Is Always With You.

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." 

INTRODUCTION

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 

COMMENTARY PEARL

Above The Clouds
   My home is on a mountain nearly four 
thousand feet high. Many times we can see below us 
the clouds in the valley. Some mornings we wake 
up to find that we are in lovely sunshine, but 
the valley below is covered with clouds. At 
other times thunderstorms come up, and we can see 
the lightning flash and hear the thunder roar 
down below, while we are enjoying beautiful 
sunlight and clear skies above. 
   Many times I have sat on our rustic front 
porch and watched the clouds below. I have thought 
of the clouds of discouragement and suffering 
that temporarily veil the sunlight of God's love 
from us. Many people live with a cloud hanging 
over their lives. 
   The Bible has a great deal to say about 
clouds, for they sometimes symbolize the spiritual 
forces that obscure the face of God. But He has not 
abandoned us. He is still there, and in faith we know 
we can trust His promise: "I will never leave 
you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). [Hope for Each 
Day by Billy Graham re Psalm 36:5] 

COMMENTARY

Always There!
   I remember one of the first times as a 
young believer when I didnt feel Gods 
presence. I woke up one morning and just didnt have 
the great feeling I had before. And being new in 
the faith and not knowing the Bible very well, I 
thought, I think God left me last night. What 
happened? 
   When I talked to a Christian friend about 
it, he told me, Youre going through a 
trial. 
   What? Im on trial?
   No, youre going through a trial.
   Whats a trial?
   My friend explained there are times in 
our lives when we dont feel the presence of 
God, but He is still there. And in time I came to 
realize that God will allow us to go through 
trials. 
   For instance, you might walk outside 
tomorrow, and its an overcast day. So you say, 
The sun was here yesterday. But I dont see 
the sun today. I don't feel its warmth. I guess 
the sun must have gone away last night. 
   No, the sun hasnt gone away. It has 
been merely obscured by a cloud covering. And if 
you dont believe that, then try going to the 
beach without wearing any sunscreen. When you 
return home resembling a ripe tomato, you will 
realize the sun was out. 
   In the same way, some people falsely 
conclude that when they dont feel God, He is gone. 
He has disappeared. But He is there, even when 
you dont feel Him. The Bible tells us in 
Hebrews, For He Himself has said, I will never 
leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5 
NKJV). 
   It is during these times that we must 
walk by faith, not by feeling, because God has 
promised in His Word that He will be with us. That is 
how we know He is there. [By Greg Laurie from 
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

Breaking the Cycle of Sin
   People talk about generational curses, 
about how theres a curse on their family and 
theres no way to break the curse. They say things 
like, Its too late for me. Ive made so 
many mistakes, and Im in this messed-up 
family. I know that Im going to do the same bad 
things that my mom and dad did, and then my kids 
are going to do them. Theres no way to break 
the cycle of sin. 
   Nonsense.
   When Jesus died on the cross, all curses 
- all sins - were broken. And when you put 
your faith in Christ, youre free from it. 
Jesus can change your story. 
   If statistics went their natural 
direction, I would have been divorced multiple times by 
now, because my mom was married and divorced 
seven times. If statistics went their natural 
direction, Id probably be a drunk, because my mom 
was an alcoholic. But God interrupted my story. 
And He can do the same for you. 
   The Bible says that Samson didnt 
realize the Lord had left him (Judges 16:20 NLT). 
In the Old Testament, we read of the Spirit of 
God coming upon someone or speaking to someone. 
But in Samsons case, the Lord left him. 
   The good news is that Jesus has promised 
believers that He will never leave us or forsake us. 
Ever. God will never leave you, no matter what you 
have done. God wont leave you, but you can 
leave Him. God wont abandon you, but you can 
abandon Him. And maybe youve done that. 
   Maybe youve made the worst decisions 
 and the worst decisions on top of that. Own 
it. Admit it. Repent. Ask God to help. Call out 
to Him. The Lord will answer your prayer, and 
He will change your story. You can come back to 
Him today. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest 
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

Feeling Alone
   As we all know, it's possible to be in a 
room full of people and still feel overwhelmed by 
loneliness. There were times in my own life when a room 
full of people seemed like the loneliest place in 
the world. The enemy is clever that way. He 
takes advantage of our unresolved hurt and 
convinces us to pull away from those we were designed 
to be in relationship with. 
   God did not intend for us to be alone. 
When I find myself feeling lonely, I remind 
myself that my Father God is always with me. He has 
promised never to leave me. I am not alone. Once I've 
reconnected with that truth, I feel I have the strength 
to reach out to others with honesty and 
transparency. 
   We've all been hurt at one time or 
another. Most of us have been hurt many times by 
those we loved and trusted. Human beings are 
capable of inflicting a lot of pain on themselves 
and others. But this does not mean we should 
stop reaching out. We need community. We need 
each other too much to stay away, too much to 
draw back, too much to isolate ourselves from our 
brothers and sisters in Christ. 
   Lord God, you know I've been hurt, but 
loneliness hurts as well. Give me the courage I need to 
reach out to others again. In Jesus' name, Amen. 
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny 
Baker] 

TESTIMONY

O Love That Won't Let Go
   My friend Melanie and I love to sing the 
old song, 'O love that will not let me go, I 
rest my weary soul in Thee.... We need to. It's 
not only because she's holding life together by 
her fingers and toes, raising two active little 
boys and a toddler in diapers, cheering on her 
pastor-husband, keeping house, shopping, cooking, and 
running countless errands. 
   On top of that, she is going blind. Her 
world is blurring over. First it was labels on 
soup cans. Then it was the aisles in the store. 
Soon it will be her children's faces. In an 
e-mail, Melanie wrote: "The toughest battles in my 
life are coming up and it's as though I'm already 
losing the war! I feel as though life is leaving me 
as my vision fades. I have such a sense that 
'In this world you will have trouble....' Joni, 
I am waiting for the peace." 
   I want to stay close on my friend's heels 
as we journey further into the fellowship of 
his sufferings. It's a road no one should walk 
alone. Me or you. Melanie, on this eve of your 
birthday, I'll tell you what. I'll keep being your 
eyes, and you keep being my hands. And Jesus will 
keep holding us with His grace... his love will 
not let us go. 
   Jesus has promised never to fail us, 
never to leave us, never to let us go. But there 
are times when we need the warm touch of a 
fellow traveler along the sometimes difficult path 
of life. Will you be our Lord's touch, his 
smile, his comfort, his word of encouragement and 
hope to someone in a dark place today? 
   Lord, You have comforted me so many times 
with a word or a hug or a note from one of Your 
children. I'm asking You this day for the opportunity 
to pass that love along. [Joni Eareckson Tada 
Daily Devotional: 
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional] 

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

   I am with you and for you, your constant 
Companion and Provider. The question is whether you 
are with Me and for Me. Though I never leave 
you, you can essentially, "leave" Me by ignoring 
Me: thinking or acting as if I am not with you. 
When you feel distance in our relationship, you 
know where the problem lies. My Love for you is 
constant; I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. 
It is you who change like shifting sand, 
letting circumstances toss you this way and that.   
   When you feel far from Me, whisper My 
Name. This simple act, done in childlike faith, 
opens your heart to My Presence. Speak to Me in 
love-tones; prepare to receive My Love, which flows 
eternally from the cross. I am delighted when you open 
yourself to My loving Presence. (Gen. 28:15; Rom. 
8:31; Heb. 13:8) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young] 

   Refresh yourself in the Peace of My 
Presence. This Peace can be your portion at all times 
and in all circumstances. Learn to hide in the 
secret of My Presence, even as you carry out your 
duties in the world. I am both with you and within 
you. I go before you to open up the way, and I 
also walk alongside you. There could never be 
another companion as devoted as I am. 
   Because I am your constant Companion, 
there should be a lightness to your step that is 
observable to others. Do not be weighed down with 
problems and unresolved issues, for I am your 
burden-bearer. In the world you have trials and distress, 
but don't let them get you down. I have 
conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm 
you. In Me you may have confident Peace. (Psa. 
31:19-20; John 16:33) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Everything You Need
   Are you hoping that a change in 
circumstances will bring a change in your attitude? If so, 
you are in prison, and you need to learn a 
secret of traveling light. What you have in your 
Shepherd is greater than what you dont have in 
life. 
   May I meddle for a moment? What is the 
one thing separating you from joy? How do you 
fill in this blank: I will be happy when 
________________? When I am healed. When I am promoted. When I 
am married. When I am single. When I am rich. 
How would you finish that statement? 
   Now, with your answer firmly in mind, 
answer this. If your ship never comes in, if your 
dream never comes true, if the situation never 
changes, could you be happy? If not, then you are 
sleeping in the cold cell of discontent. You are in 
prison. And you need to know what you have in your 
Shepherd. 
   You have a God who hears you, the power 
of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, 
and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the 
Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for 
every turn, a candle for every corner, and an 
anchor for every storm. You have everything you 
need. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at 
maxlucado.com] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC:

Matthew 28:20b - Christ Our Constant 
Companion! 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180408-1904.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by 
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE