DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Never, Never, Never, Never, Never
by Beth Voltmann
As humans, we have a natural, sinful tendency to cling to those things that we believe will
protect us, provide for us, and bring us happiness and security. Money is just one of many idols
that competes with God for our hearts, but as believers, we know that we are to store up
treasures in heaven, not on earth.
James cautioned believers to keep their lives free from the love of money and to be content
with what they have... “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)
According to Charles Spurgeon (in the Blue Letter Bible commentary), if this passage were to be translated with the full emphasis of the Greek meaning given, it might loosely read, “He hath said, I will never, never leave thee; I will never, never, never forsake thee.” James, the brother of Jesus, who once doubted that Jesus was the promised Messiah, became one of the leading elders of the church after Christ’s ascension. He urged the church to consider and imitate how he and the other apostles lived out their faith, trusting that God would always provide, defend, protect, and love them. They believed that God would always be true to his promises.
Do you believe God? The response to all of life hinges on this. God is enough! When you find yourself running after the things of this world in the hope that you will find security, provision, help, or hope...turn your eyes back to Jesus and ask yourself:
When will God leave me? NEVER
When will God forsake (desert or abandon) me? NEVER
When will I be without a helper? NEVER
When should I be afraid? NEVER
When should I stop trusting in God’s provision? NEVER
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
Trust him, believe in him, love him with your whole heart. He is enough!
May we give praise that God is “never gonna let us go."
“King of My Heart” Bethel Music
PRAYER
Lord God, we ask forgiveness when we devote our hearts to things of this world that will not
satisfy or save us. Stir within us a heart to follow, to be content with what we have, and to
devote our lives to trusting in Jesus. We want to say with full confidence, “The Lord is my
helper; I will not be afraid.” Thank you that you are always faithful to your promises. Amen
Good morning, Beth.
I love biblical repetition because it assures me the message is rock solid and for my well being. I have a friend who is a single parent mother. She has a depressed 29 year old daughter living with her and a pregnant teenager lIving with her who is about to give birth. Neither daughter has a job and contribute zero to the financial overhead. Mom works at Hobby Lobby 35 hours a week making $18 an hour. She is living paycheck to paycheck with no reserves whatsoever. I asked if we could help her with a lump sum of money in case she needed it. Her response was, "Thank you so much but I am totally depende…