Scripture: Heb 13:5-6

5 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.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

I. EMBRACE FINANCIAL FREEDOM

5 Let your lives be without love of money and be content with the things you have. For He has said: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you. (MEV)

5 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.” (NKJV)

A. Freedom from Covetousness

• 5 C’s revolve around wealth and assets: cash, condos, country club memberships, credit cards, cars
• Meaning of Covetousness: wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions
• Warped thinking that money gives them status, friends, esteem
• Being overcome by this lifestyle will pose many painful consequences during hard times like now

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tim 6: 9-10)

B. Freedom from Fear of Poverty

• They view everything from the fear of lack; what if
• During uncertain times, accusations made against God – He is not good, He will not provide for them, He will fail or forget about them

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God. (Pro 30:7-9)

C. Cultivate Contentment

Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Phi 4:12-13 (MSG))

• Meaning of contentment (Greek) – satisfied, to be sufficient
• An inner sense of rest or peace that comes from being right with God and knowing that He is in control of all that happens to us
• Focus on the kingdom of God and serving Him

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (1 Tim 6:6-8)

II. INTERNALIZE GOD'S PROMISES

5… For He 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?” (Heb 13:5b-6)

Meaning of internalize (from the Cambridge Dictionary) – to accept or absorb an idea, opinion, belief, etc. so that it becomes part of your character.

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher, said that what God meant in verse 5b (in the Hebrew script) is: ‘I will not, not leave thee; I will never, no never, forsake thee.’

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?” (Num 23:19)

A. Remember God has covenanted Himself to be our Loving Heavenly Father.

Jesus’ advice not to worry found in Matt 6:25, 31

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matt 6:25)

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (Matt 6:31)

Dale Carnegie says : “Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.”

Jesus in verse 32 assures us why we don’t need to worry…. “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

B. Declare with confidence that the Lord is our Helper

• His help in times past
• His promises of help and blessings
  • The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. (Psalm 118:7)
  • Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. (Psalm 54:4)
  • And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19)
  • The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. (1 Thes 5:24)
  • I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. (Psa 37:25)
• His favour on us

Make this our lives' motto:

5 Let your lives be without love of money and be content with the things you have. For He 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?" (Heb 13:5-6)