“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread. The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.”
These verses are not simply about material blessings and financial peace for committed Christians. They speak of an unfailing principle: God never forsakes those he loves.
When I went to college in the Smoky Mountains, one of my favorite ways to spend my free time was hiking in the woods. One evening after work I hiked down a path with my Bible and I asked God to speak to me, whatever he wished. I thumbed through a few New Testament chapters until I came to the book of Hebrews, and I heard a still, small voice speaking directly to my spirit through Hebrews 13:5b: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
At the time of this experience, I didn’t quite know why God chose to speak to me through these particular verses. However, as the years went by I began to understand that he had handpicked these verses for my healing. Through difficult situations that dredged up childhood memories, I realized one of my oldest, deepest fears was abandonment, since my parents had divorced when I was young. In those situations the verse came back to me—I will never leave you nor forsake you, he says—even if the whole world forsakes you, I the Lord your God, will never do that to you, because you are my child, and I love you.
In addition to the peace and healing that I’ve experienced through God’s promise, I’m also living proof that God provides abundantly for his children. I have always had enough food and clothing, nice living quarters, a comfortable bed, and many, many other material blessings. I am not a follower of a “prosperity gospel,” nor am I ignorant of the fact that many committed believers around the world do not always experience material blessings. However, the underlying principle in these verses holds true in every circumstance: God loves to lavish his children with blessings, whether material or spiritual.
Can you count your blessings, both material and spiritual, and give God the credit for them?
Copyright 2009
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